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Note: WSSDA's weekly video legislative update is
now available at
www.youtube.com/wssda.
Last night — Day 60 of the scheduled 60-day 2010
Regular Session — the Legislature adjourned Sine Die
just before 9:00 pm. Because a final, compromise 2010
Supplemental Operating Budget (and necessary additional
revenues to fund the budget) was not able to be
completed, Gov. Gregoire announced she will call the
Legislature back to town for a Special Session beginning
at noon on Monday, March 15. In her
official proclamation, Gregoire requests the
Legislature to focus on the completion of the
Supplemental Operating Budget, the Supplemental Capital
Construction Budget and a job creation package. She also
states that the Special Session should last no more than
seven days. In a press conference following the
adjournment of the Regular Session, Senate Majority
Leader Lisa Brown and House Speaker Frank Chopp joined
Gov. Gregoire and agreed with her that the focus should
(and probably will) be on the two supplemental budgets
and a jobs package; however, the governor’s direction is
not binding. Under the provisions of the state
constitution, when the governor calls a Special Session,
she cannot limit the topics to be addressed, nor can she
limit the length of the session. The only real parameter
is the maximum length of the Special Session, which is
30 days.
Yesterday, House and Senate negotiations resulted in
the resolution and adoption of three major education
bills: HB 2893, HB 2776 and SB 6696.
HB 2893 will: (1) restore school district levy bases
by allowing the “full funding” of Initiative 728
(Student Achievement) and Initiative 732 (educator
COLAs) and the K-4 Class Size Enhancement to be counted
in the calculation of the levy base, even though the
funding has been eliminated; (2) increase the local levy
lid for all school districts (including grandfathered
districts) by four percent; (3) allow a “supplemental”
levy for districts that are mid-cycle and want to
capture the additional levy capacity included in this
bill; and (4) increase Local Effort Assistance (for all
eligible districts) by two percent. The bill also
includes a very important “reverse severability” clause,
which declares that each section of the bill represents
a comprehensive plan for addressing school levy laws
such that if any section passed by the Legislature is
invalidated or not signed into law, or if OSPI does not
certify that full funding has been appropriated for the
LEA rates in the bill, the entire act is null and void.
HB 2776 is the bill from the Quality Education
Council and the Funding Formula Technical Working Group
that will implement the new prototypical school funding
model, as outlined in last session’s basic education
finance reform bill,
HB 2261. In addition to the new financing model, the
bill provides for a phase-in of smaller class sizes in
K-3 by the 2015-16 school year, enhanced spending on
Maintenance, Supplies and Operating Costs or MSOC
(formerly known as Non-Employee Related Costs or NERC)
and a new formula for pupil transportation costs.
SB 6696 is the bill to implement various education
reform measures intended to enhance Washington’s
eligibility for federal “Race To The Top” funding. The
bill will implement a new teacher and principal
evaluation system; revise current teacher tenure
provisions; make changes to enhance alternative routes
to teacher certification; and implement the State Board
of Education’s new statewide school accountability plan.
HB 2776 and SB 6696 were in dispute until just prior
to last night’s adjournment of the session. The dispute
was essentially over education funding. In short, the
House wanted bills with a strong funding commitment,
while the Senate did not want to “over-commit” and
provide a “false promise.” Key education-minded
legislators worked vigorously behind-the-scenes to forge
a compromise to secure passage of these two bills. Upon
reaching an agreement,
Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe released a statement
announcing the breakthrough, saying, “It’s great to end
this regular session on a high note with these two
powerful bills to reform our education system for our
kids.”
In terms of the budget, three major issues need be
negotiated:
- The total amount of spending in the budget (or
in Olympia-speak, the “size of the box”);
- The total amount of new revenue to fund the
budget; and
- The total amount of money left in an ending fund
balance.
In last night’s press conference, Sen. Brown and
Speaker Chopp noted that the House and Senate have come
to an agreement on the “size of the box.” Upon
being questioned about the final spending level in the
budget, Brown responded that the House and Senate have
essentially “split the difference.” Of course,
moving the pieces within the box will continue to be
difficult, but usually the overall size of the budget is
a major sticking point. For this budget, another thorny
issue remains the revenue package. The Senate plan
includes a three-tenths of a cent increase in the state
sales tax, while the House plan includes a menu of tax
items, but not a sales tax increase.
As the Special Session convenes, we will continue to
provide these Updates. Remember that there is still an
opportunity to have an impact on budget decisions. Make
sure you remain in contact with your local legislators
so they know your thoughts and opinions on the state
budget.
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