Dems Offer $1B Gap Fix

Washington House Democrats proposed a budget this week that would close a $1 billion gap in the state’s current two-year budget.

The plan would delay more than $400 million of payments to schools until the next budget cycle and would also cut spending for local governments and socials services. In addition, it would set aside $500 million for the state’s reserves.

The proposal does not include any sales taxes to raise revenue.

Earlier this year, Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat, asked lawmakers to put a temporary sales-tax increase measure before voters.

The higher sales tax would help fund education, social services and public safety programs that have been cut in recent budgets.

Washington doesn’t have an income tax.

Gregoire has also been pushing for a $3.6 billion transportation package funded by a proposed $1.50 fee on every barrel of oil produced in the state, which has also run into opposition.

In December, she signed a bill passed during an emergency legislative session enacting $480 million of cuts to the biennial budget._The governor called the special session to address a projected $1.4 billion shortfall in the fiscal 2013-14 budget. She also wants to retain $600 million in reserves.

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