Legislative Commentary

With senators back to working fulltime in committees it probably seemed certain to most Olympia-watchers that this week’s high point would come Wednesday with the release of the latest state revenue forecast.

Not so fast. On Tuesday our Majority Coalition Caucus did what no one else expected during a legislative session so focused on basic education: we stood up for higher education with a simple, thoughtful approach that would reduce tuition while increasing support for Washington’s state-run colleges and universities.

That’s not to say the revenue forecast wasn’t big news too; it was, but not for the reason you might expect. Keep reading for more information about that, too. Generally, though, there wasn’t as much news coming out of the Legislature this week, simply because of where we are in the session: 10 weeks down, five to go, with no significant voting in the Senate and House chambers and very few bills still being introduced – especially legislation capable of grabbing headlines (our new higher-ed strategy being an exception).

Given that I serve on the budget committee in addition to being Senate Republican leader, and how the finishing touches are being put on the Senate budget proposal, and the fact that I had breaks between committees, a lot of people with a stake in the budget found their way to my office in the past several days. The visitor list included the directors of the state Department of Revenue and the Department of Fish and Wildlife and many representatives from industries and associations. There weren’t as many guests from back home this week, but that was offset by two very nice visits I had on Friday. One was from John and Jan Marshall from Ritzville; the other was from Kathy Carlson, her daughter Rayla and Charlotte Tuttle, from Asotin County, who wanted to discuss included the Second Amendment and funding for fairs – topics of great interest to me too!

Now that spring is officially here, I am once again feeling the pull of the farm as well as the family. Besides, there’s a Lincoln Day event to attend in Pasco – a chance to let folks there know how things are progressing at the Capitol.

First revenue forecast of 2013 shows little change…

It’s difficult to put a budget together without having a good idea how much money is available for spending. That’s why operating-budget proposals don’t emerge from the Legislature until after the year’s first quarterly revenue forecast is submitted by the state’s chief economist.

That forecast came out Wednesday, and it was essentially flat. For budget writers a flat forecast was better than the big drop some were expecting, although it also affirms that the need for jobs in our state is as acute as ever.

Because there was such a minor change, it means Olympia is still on track to take in an estimated $32.5 billion during the 2013-15 budget cycle (the two years starting July 1) from tax collections, fees and other revenue sources. That’s a jump of $2 billion – or approximately seven percent – from the $30.47 billion in revenue anticipated for the budget cycle ending June 30 (for more perspective from a veteran Capitol reporter see this piece in Washington State Wire).

…and what that means for the Senate coalition’s budget proposal

There are many people and organizations who want to see more money poured into state government this year, and plenty of legislators who are just itching to raise taxes, especially now that the state Supreme Court has made it possible to do that with a simple-majority vote rather than a supermajority (2/3) vote.

To them, seeing that Wednesday’s revenue forecast is basically unchanged must have been disappointing, as it takes away their primary argument. How can they continue to call for raising taxes when the state already is expecting to have nearly 7 percent more to spend? How can they contend a $2 billion increase in revenue – produced without tax hikes.

I and our other coalition leaders have said all along that we don’t see a need for new revenue or to extend the temporary tax increases from 2010 that are expiring this year. When the Senate budget proposal comes out, very possibly this next week, some government programs are simply not going to grow as much as their supporters would like to see. I can live with that, because the alternative is to break the promise to taxpayers who rightfully expect certain tax rates to return to where they were in 2010. Why does it seem like such a novel concept around here to keep one’s word?

Our plan to reduce tuition costs, boost support for colleges and universities

In a way the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus upstaged this week’s revenue forecast with our plan to support Washington’s working families and its state-run colleges and universities, all in one fell swoop.

The “Ten-Three-Fifty” plan is so nicknamed because it would result in a 10 percent increase in state funding for higher education; a three percent tuition reduction at all state higher-ed institutions for the next two years; and a new $50 million fund for science, technology, engineering and math degrees, with funds awarded to institutions on a competitive basis.

When reporters asked this week why I’m co-sponsoring this approach (introduced as Senate Bill 5883) my answer was simple: I have represented two universities (Washington State University and, until this year, Eastern Washington University) and yet I have not been able to vote on a tuition decrease in my 21 years here at the Legislature.

The closest I got was my plan to cap tuition, which became law in 2007 but was later tossed out by the other side of the aisle when the budget situation got tight.

Speaking of the other side of the aisle, members of the Senate minority were quick with comment on our plan.

It makes you wonder: where were they with ideas such as this at any time since 2009, when they chose to throw out the tuition cap and instead let a string of double-digit tuition increases begin?

For working families trying to send a student to college, the tuition reduction in this new strategy would essentially serve as a tax cut.

For our colleges and universities, the added financial support is a sign that someone in the Legislature wants to begin reversing years of cuts to Washington’s higher-education system.

Higher education, unlike basic (K-12) education, doesn’t have the backing of our state constitution (remember how making ample provision for basic-ed is the state’s “paramount duty?”).

While the 10-3-50 approach isn’t a fix-all it would get higher-ed out of the back of the budget, where funding for it is easy to cut, and make it a high priority. In that sense this qualifies as a reform of our budgeting priorities.

This also would address the concern that the popular Guaranteed Enrollment Tuition program was headed for insolvency, in a way that would create a surplus in the GET fund.

Because this bill is budget-related it’s exempt from the deadlines that went by in recent weeks for the Senate to vote on Senate bills; I expect it will come before us on the budget committee in the next week or so.

I welcome your comments about anything in this newsletter and your questions about what I’m doing on behalf in the state Senate.

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