On Wednesday’s edition of “Legislative Review,” we have highlights from a busy cutoff day — including a floor speech from House Republican Minority Leader Richard DeBolt in which he resigned his leadership post for health reasons, and heated debate on the Senate floor when Democrats attempted to revive an abortion insurance bill. Plus, floor debate over a flame retardant bill and a social networking measure.
On Monday’s “Legislative Review,” we have details from a floor debate in the House over three alcohol-related bills, including measures that would loosen restrictions for serving alcohol at day spas, dinner theaters and grocery stores. We also have highlights from a press conference in which Senate Democrats say they are willing to use the Ninth Order to bring the Washington Dream Act and Reproductive Parity Act to the floor for a vote. Plus, details from Friday night’s budget debate in the House.
Senate Democrats said they are willing to use a parliamentary tactic called the Ninth Order to force a vote on two bills on the Senate floor. Senate Democratic Leader Ed Murray said he believes there are enough votes to pass the Washington Dream Act and an abortion insurance bill known as the Reproductive Parity Act.
“We have a majority of members who want these bills to pass, but the philosophical majority is not being allowed to bring these bills forward,” Murray said. He said “eventually we’re going to have to go to Ninth Order” if the Majority Coalition Caucus won’t move the bills.
The Washington Dream Act would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for state Need Grants to help pay for college. The Reproductive Parity Act would require all insurance companies in the state to provide coverage for abortions if they also cover maternity care. Both bills passed out of the House, but never received committee votes in the Senate.
Murray said by calling a press conference about the issue on Monday, he is hoping to “avoid the theater that sometimes happens around the Ninth Order.” Last year, Republicans and conservative Democrats used the Ninth Order to force a vote on GOP-backed budget.
Democrats would have to use the tactic before the end of the day Wednesday, which marks a key cutoff deadline.
“The votes are there,” Murray said. “There is no reason not to pass the legislation.”
Watch the press conference below:
On Wednesday’s edition of “Legislative Review,” we have details on the budget proposal by House Democrats that pays for education by eliminating a number of tax breaks. We also have highlights from a joint press conference between Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood discussing the Columbia River Crossing, as well as a segment on public reaction to the House Capital budget.
Sen. Mike Carrell (R-Lakewood)
Leaders of the GOP-controlled Majority Coalition say they are hopeful Senate Democrats will extend a proxy vote in the place of ailing Sen. Mike Carrell (R-Lakewood) if he is unable to be in Olympia for a close vote as the legislative session winds down.
Carrell returned home last week after symptoms from a pre-leukemia blood condition became worse. He was diagnosed with MDS, or myelodysplastic syndrome, earlier this year and is currently a candidate for a bone marrow transplant.
Under Senate rules, it is allowed for somebody to vote for a member of the majority party who is sick or ill. Without Carrell, the Majority Coalition is one vote short of an actual majority.
On Wednesday, Sen. Linda Parlette (R-Wenatchee) said she was hopeful a member of the minority would step in if a vote was close.
“I’m not sure about that. It may depend on the issue. I just hope they will join us if it’s a close vote because I know that we would do the same. I think it has made us more mindful of the difference between having 24 people sitting there and 25 people sitting there. I just think that’s the professional thing to do and I honestly can’t believe anybody not doing that,” she said.
House Minority leader Richard DeBolt (R-Chehalis) said he was asked on occasion to offer his vote to a member of the other party who was ill when the House was evenly split.
“It has been a good tradition,” he said.
Democratic Sen. Jim Hargrove has previously said he would serve as a proxy vote, according to KPLU.
Days away from the start of the 2013 legislative session, Senate leaders still disagree on how they will share power on committees.
Senate Republicans will control the chamber with the help of two breakaway Democrats, Sens. Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon. The coalition has proposed that each party chair six committees, and co-chair three committees.
Under the proposal, Republicans would chair the most powerful committees — including the budget, education and healthcare — while Democrats would get six lower-tier committees.
At the Associated Press Legislative Preview event today, Senate Democratic leader Ed Murray said his members have voted to reject the GOP offer and they don’t intend to name chairs to the committees that the Republicans have offered.
“Offering the smaller committees to Democrats isn’t bipartisan,” Murray said.
Tom, who is the leader of the coalition, said the group is offering Democrats an “unprecedented amount of power,” and they’re still waiting for a response.
“We’re not doing this for window dressing,” said Tom. “We’re approaching this so we can have a vibrant dialogue.”
Tom said the coalition approached committee chairmanship like a business and selected the best qualified person for the job. For example, he said Sen. Andy Hill, the Redmond Republican who has been tapped to lead the budget-writing committee, holds an MBA from Harvard and is a former Microsoft executive.
Murray said he hopes both sides can “negotiate a bipartisan way to govern” before the start of session on Monday.
“We can move forward regardless of some of the complications that exist,” Murray said “The thing to focus on is the end result.”
Senate Democrats on Monday rejected a power-sharing proposal offered by the Republican-led coalition, instead offering a counterproposal that would install a co-chair from each party on all committees.
Republicans dismissed the idea, saying that having co-chairs on all committees “would be a recipe for gridlock, particularly in areas like education and the operating budget.”
Senate Republicans announced earlier this month they plan to control the chamber with the help of two breakaway Democrats, Sens. Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon. The group, calling itself the Majority Coalition Caucus, will hold a 25 to 24 vote advantage.
The coalition asked Democrats to accept a power-sharing agreement that would give each party six committee chairs. Under the proposal, Republicans would chair the most powerful committees — including the budget, education and healthcare committees — while Democrats would get natural resources, agriculture, trade, financial institutions, higher education and environment.
Senate Democratic leader Ed Murray rejected that proposal, saying it’s clear the Senate is in a “virtual tie” and the committee structure should reflect that.
“We propose a structure of co-leadership and co-chairs of all committees. We would support Republicans and they would support us in a true bipartisan arrangement with true sharing of power and responsibilities,” Murray said in a statement.
Tom, who would serve as the coalition’s majority leader, and Senate Republican leader Mark Schoesler called on Democrats to cooperate.
“It is our hope that the current majority will cooperate with us to ensure a smooth handoff of leadership and allow the Senate to tackle the many pressing needs of our state from day one of the 2013 session,” Tom and Schoesler said in a joint statement.
Meanwhile, Murray and Tom exchanged letters about the upcoming session in which it is clear the two sides won’t cooperate before session. That means the GOP-led coalition will likely have to change the rules of the Senate if it wants to take control in January.
Two fiscally conservative Democrats announced today they are joining forces with Republicans to create a new “majority coalition caucus” that will control the Washington state Senate.
Democratic Senators Rodney Tom of Bellevue and Tim Sheldon of Potlatch stood with five Senate Republican leaders at a press conference Monday to explain how the new caucus will govern. Tom would serve as the new Senate majority leader, and Sheldon would be president pro tempore.
Sen. Rodney Tom at the press conference
The caucus has proposed splitting power by allowing Democrats and Republicans to each chair six committees, and co-chair three committees.
The powerful budget-writing Ways and Means committee would be chaired by Republican Sen. Andy Hill of Redmond under the proposal. The K-12 education committee would be led by Republican Sen. Steve Litzow of Mercer Island.
Tom said he believes more Democrats will join the caucus, which has pledged to govern under a set of “principles” that include creating a sustainable budget, promoting job growth and reforming education.
“The public is not looking for one-party domination,” Tom said. “They are looking for us to get away from politics and start governing.”
Senate Democratic leader Ed Murray released a statement saying that “any majority in the Senate will be an unstable one.” Democrats held a slim 26-23 majority before today’s announcement; the new caucus would hold a 25-24 majority.
“We don’t believe the Republicans’ take-it-or-leave-it plan offers the right way forward. We remain hopeful that Republicans will be open to negotiations to ensure the full functioning of the Senate,” Murray said.
On this week’s “Inside Olympia,” host Austin Jenkins talks with new Senate Democratic leader Ed Murray about the party’s tenuous majority in the state Senate and speculation about a power-sharing agreement with Republicans. Democratic Sen. David Frockt, the co-chair of a new bipartisan education committee tasked with finding solutions to McCleary, is also a guest on the show.
Sen. Ed Murray on "Inside Olympia"
Newly elected Senate Democratic majority leader Sen. Ed Murray said today that if two conservative Democrats flip sides and align with the GOP to elect their own majority leader off the Senate floor, it would “poison the atmosphere” for years to come.
“It would throw out a 100 years of how the Senate has functioned,” Murray told “Inside Olympia” host Austin Jenkins.
Democrats hold a tenuous advantage in the state Senate. They will either have a 27-22 or a 26-23 majority, depending on the results of a hand recount in Clark County. Republican Don Benton is winning there by just 78 votes over Democrat Tim Probst.
Two fiscally conservative Democrats, Sen. Rodney Tom and Sen. Tim Sheldon, joined forces with Republicans over the budget in a surprise coup last session. GOP leaders have suggested the same thing could happen in the upcoming session, giving them a “philosophical majority.”
Murray said that type of majority would be too “unstable” to lead — especially given that Tom is a more socially liberal Democrat who voted in favor of same-sex marriage and is pro-choice.
“We have to function, we have to govern,” Murray said. “If someone isn’t in control, you have chaos.”
The full interview airs tonight, Nov. 29, at 7 & 10 p.m. on TVW. Also a guest on the show: Sen. David Frockt, the co-chair of a new bipartisan education committee charged with finding ways to comply with the state Supreme Court’s mandate to fully fund education.
Sen. Jim Hargrove
Senate Democrats announced their leadership nominees today, with Sen. Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam picked to chair the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee.
Democrats said in a press release the budget-writing team was picked to “include differing viewpoints in a narrowly divided Senate.”
Democrats will hold a slim 26-23 advantage in the state Senate if Republican Don Benton wins a hand recount in Clark County, where he’s ahead by just 82 votes.
Two conservative Democrats, Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon, could shift that balance of power if they vote with the GOP on budget-related issues, as they did during a surprise coup last session.
Recognizing the partisan divide, Democrats proposed giving the minority Republican party additional seats on all policy committees, including the budget-writing and transportation committees — a move that would give Democrats just one more vote than Republicans.
Senate Democrats also proposed creating a new bipartisan education committee that will look for ways to comply with the state Supreme Court’s ruling in the McCleary case. The committee would be co-chaired by Democrat Sen. David Frockt and a Republican picked by the party’s caucus.
Democrats nominated Sen. Sharon Nelson, D-Vashon Island, to serve with Hargrove as vice chair of powerful budget-writing committee.
Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, is the nominee to lead the transportation committee, with Sen. Steve Hobbs of Lake Stevens as vice chair.
Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlach, was nominated for president pro tem. He would preside over the Senate floor if Lt. Gov. Brad Owen is unavailable.
The appointments have to be approved by the full state Senate. The complete list of Democratic nominees is here.
UPDATE: Outgoing Republican minority leader Sen. Mike Hewitt issued a statement this afternoon congratulating the nominees, but said the GOP may have “additional leadership strategies” in mind. As has been outlined in this Seattle Times story, Senate Republicans and conservative Democrats are reportedly considering a forming a coalition that would force a power-sharing agreement.
Here’s Hewitt’s statement:
“I am encouraged to see that Senate Democrats are now advocating a collaborative approach for 2013; that’s a good start. Speaking as the outgoing leader, however, I know there may be additional leadership strategies that could do a better job of delivering the ongoing reforms the public is demanding. I am confident our new Senate Republican leadership team, which will be elected tomorrow, will be meeting with their Senate Democratic counterparts to discuss how to best serve the people of Washington.”
House Democratic leaders released a new budget proposal today, saying they are moving closer to the Republicans’ position by offering a number of reforms.
Rep. Ross Hunter, chairman of the House budget writing committee, acknowledged that he doesn’t know if the new plan has enough votes to break the impasse, but said it was time to get the process moving.
“If there’s any opportunity to be done by next Tuesday, we have to move some bills forward,” said House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan at a press conference. Special session ends two days after Easter.
The budget proposal does not delay payments to public schools — a major sticking point in previous budget debates. Originally, Democrats had proposed pushing back millions in school payments by one day so that the expenditure fell into the next two-year budget cycle, and Republicans criticized it as punting responsibility to the next Legislature.
Instead, the budget proposal would keep $238 million in sales tax revenue collected from local governments in the state’s general fund longer, giving the state a boost in its cash flow every month. Hunter said a number of other states do the same, and it would “modernize” the way the state handles its cash without delaying any payments.
The budget does not include any cuts to K-12 or higher education. It would, however, repeal Initiative 728, a measure passed by voters in 2000 as a way to reduce class sizes, but without a way to fund it. The Legislature has regularly suspended the measure during economic downturns, and Rep. Hunter said the money could be more effectively used elsewhere.
The plan includes a number of reforms, including one that would eliminate some pension benefits for new state employees hired after July 1. Rep. Hunter said the proposal does not go as far as the pension reform proposed by Senate Republicans, but “it’s as far as we can go to get the votes.”
It also includes a balanced budget bill with a 4-year “outlook,” and a bill that would consolidate health insurance benefits for K-12 public school employees. It removes a proposed 5 percent increase to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and would eliminate about 1,400 state employees.
The proposal leaves $335 million in reserves.
Senate Republicans and moderate Democrats held a press conference to respond, saying that they didn’t believe the reforms go far enough. Read more about their response here.
Here’s Christina, talking with Sen. Karen Keiser, who said she’s pleased with the work that has been done on the healthcare exchange bill that passed.
We’ll be posting all our interviews online as soon as we can, and they’ll be on TVW as soon as there is a break in floor action.
Gov. Chris Gregoire said after meeting with all four corners of the legislature, she’s made her priority clear: a budget deal by midnight of Sine Die.
In a press conference Wednesday, Gregoire identified what she views as the two roadblocks to getting a deal cut: Democrats want a deferral of school payments, and Republicans want to skip a pension plan payment.
Though Gregoire said she has “trouble with skipping a pension payment,” she said she isn’t going to rule out any options to get a budget passed at this point.
Gregoire said the disagreement lies in approximately $200 to $250 million. She said if lawmakers can reach an agreement on where this money will come from, “they can solve all the problems in the budget.”
Gregoire said while it isn’t realistic to get the nuts and bolts of a budget completed in time for Sine Die, which is midnight tomorrow, she said she expects lawmakers to come to a budget deal before then. She added that she does not want to call a special session.
“The minute I say special session, they’ll go to sleep,” Gregoire said. “The public expects more.”
Gregoire said lawmakers promised her that they would get to work on a deal, and that she expects them to deliver on that promise.
“They’re going to have to get it done,” she said. “The alternative is not acceptable.”
The alternative being what the Governor can do if the legislature doesn’t come to a consensus on the budget: 10 percent cuts across the board.
Gregoire added that legislators can’t “just turn it over to the budget-writers.”
U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, announced Friday that he will not be running for reelection this year. The former football star and University of Washington grad was first elected to Congress in 1976.
Dicks said he’s changing gears in a statement released Friday: “After 18 terms representing the people of the 6th Congressional District of Washington, preceded by eight years on the Staff of Senator Warren G. Magnuson, Suzie and I have made the decision to change gears and enjoy life at a different pace.”
Gov. Chris Gregoire lauded Dicks for his service, saying in a press release that there has been “no greater advocate for our state” than Dicks. “For nearly four decades, Norm has fought hard for Washingtonians – pushing Congress to take action to protect our military bases, our companies including Boeing, and of course the health of the Puget Sound,” Gregoire said.
Senators Derek Kilmer and Jim Kastama held a press conference today to give an update on their legislative priorities, citing a number of bills that survived today’s policy cutoff deadline.
Washington state doesn’t have a jobs shortage, “we have a skills shortage,” said Sen. Kastama. He said 60,000 jobs are going unfilled because of a lack of skilled workers. One bill that Democrats say would help address that shortage is 6289, which provides training for unemployed people to become entrepreneurs. Another bill would help the spouses of military members obtain professional licenses. A handful of other bills are aimed at expanding the state’s aerospace industry.
Kastama said one of his top priorities is 5808. If an industry earns more revenue than projected, then industry groups could apply for a rebate that could be used for research and training workers. The rebates would be capped at $5 million a year.
You can watch the full half-hour press conference here.
Today, two lawmakers from different ends of the political spectrum made statements announcing that they will vote in favor of same-sex marriage in Washington.
Sen. Jim Kastama held a press conference today in which he said he will vote in support of same-sex marriage, and that he believes this legislation should pass without a ballot amendment. He said with the struggles of the economy and government, marriage can provide a “true safety net.”
“In 2012, I believe we have reached the point where society is ready to recognize and support same-sex couples who seek the bonds, benefits and security of marriage. They too, deserve this ‘safety net.’”
Kastama said this was a hard decision to make, saying that “Unlike some of my colleagues in liberal districts, I will not return home to cheers and handshakes.”
He said if the legislature is able to address this difficult issue, there will be no excuse for tackling other challenges.
Rep. Glenn Anderson also issued a statement announcing his support for gay marriage. In a lengthy statement, Anderson says that he thinks same-sex marriage meets the federal constitution test for equal protection and that he will vote in favor of the same-sex marriage bill in the House.
He uses three criteria to evaluate same-sex marriage:
Anderson said the distinction between civil and religious marriage has been long settled, and that “civil same-sex marriage does not undermine the right of individuals to freely choose association with religious organizations that seek to encourage traditional marriage values with which they agree. Neither does it obstruct the ability to practice the values of religious marriage, either individually or with like-minded persons.”
He also said that there is sufficient physiological research and historical records to show that homosexuality is a normal expression of biology.
Anderson cited the Code of Hammurabi, Council of Trent, and the Emperors Theodosius and Justinian to back up his claims about civil and religious marriage.
This week: Senate Democrat Leader Lisa Brown and House Republican Leader Richard DeBolt share their views on the state budget, possible tax hikes, and other key issues facing the 2012 State Legislature. Enjoy.
Remember back on Sine Die (part 2) when Sen. Phil Rockefeller announced he was leaving the Senate — and said he’d like to see Rep. Christine Rolfes replace him? His wish came true.
Brad Shannon based that post on The Kitsap Sun’s story, which you can read here.
Meanwhile, that leaves her House seat open — and the Sun reports that several people are jumping to fill that seat, which will also be filled by the county party.
In preparation for tomorrow’s show The Impact, host Jessica Gao just interviewed Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt and Senate Majority Caucus Leader Karen Fraser.
With the session set to kick off next Monday the thing on everyone’s mind is the budget. Both caucuses are busy trying to figure out how to balance the books with a $4.6 billion shortfall and with what legislators are referring to as a resounding message from voters last November: no new taxes.
“The voters have spoken,” said Hewitt, R-Walla Walla. “It is a bit schizophrenic to be here these days. They want services but don’t want to pay for them.”
One of those services is Washington’s transportation infrastructure. When asked about the possibility of sending a tax package to the voters in order to fund it both Senators were reluctant to commit to any one idea. Both agreed though, on the importance of the state’s transportation system and its direct link to the economy.
Fraser, D-Olympia, added that there has been talk of exploring traditional sources of revenue for projects like gas tax and tolls as well as new measures.
To watch the entire interview tune into The Impact tomorrow evening at 7 or 10 p.m. on TVW.
