Inslee Calls Second Special Legislative Session Over Budget Impasse

OLYMPIA, WA - Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday convened a second 30-day special session for the Legislature after lawmakers were unable to come to an agreement over a state budget during the first special session. The state Legislature has to come up with a two-year state budget that satisfies sthe 2012 state Supreme Court McCleary Decision on school funding. The legislators risk a partial state government shutdown if they don't agree on a budget by June 30.

The first special legislative session ended Tuesday, but Inslee immediately called for a second 30-day session. Over the first session, a special group of Republicans and Democrats have been negotiating differences between two different budgets created by the Legislature.

The Democratic-controlled House has proposed a $44.6 billion two-year budget, and the Republican-controlled Senate has proposed a $43 billion budget. The two plans differ in how they fund schools, in particular teacher salaries. The House's budget calls for creating a capital gains tax, which would hit wealthy residents, but also calls for lowering property taxes. The Senate plan would create a new state property tax just to fund schools.

The issue of funding teacher salaries has been the most difficult part of McCleary for lawmakers to agree on. The decision ordered the Legislature come up with a way for the state to pay for teacher and other staff salaries, relieving local governments of that burden. The state Supreme Court has given the Legislature until 2018 to figure out how to do that.

A partial government shut down would happen July 1 if lawmakers don't create a new budget. Inslee could call a third session, but he said Tuesday that he didn't want to, and that the budget "needs to get done in 30 days."

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