The budget ax will miss the widening project for U.S. Highway 101 between Port Angeles and Sequim, the construction of Maier Hall at Peninsula College and levy equalization for property-poor school districts, said House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler.
Kessler, D-Hoquiam, was fishing for a silver lining when discussing the proposed House budget released this week. Lawmakers are making drastic cuts in every sector to reconcile a $9 billion shortfall for the 2009-2011 biennium.
The last day of the Legislative session is April 26.
“It’s a tough one,” Kessler said.
“It’s an all-cuts budget. We made a lot of decisions that are really difficult.”
Kessler represents the 24th District, which includes Clallam and Jefferson counties and a portion of Grays Harbor County.
“In our transportation budget, we kept the safety widening for 101 at Kitchen-Dick Road and the $35 million building at Peninsula College,” she said.
The U.S. Highway 101 Safety Project is the proposed widening of a 2.5-mile stretch between Shore and Kitchen-Dick roads. The wreck-prone roadway will be widened from two to four lanes. It has been considered a high-priority project for several years.
Maier Hall
Maier Hall is the proposed 61,750-square-foot general purpose building at Peninsula College in Port Angeles. It would replace four buildings that were built in the 1960s as part of the original campus.
“The tough stuff is in the operating budget,” Kessler said.
Lawmakers are backtracking on legislation they had made headway in, she said.
“It’s a brutal cut. There are lots of cuts in almost every area.”
In public education, the House proposes cutting $1 billion. The Senate’s proposal, released Monday, cuts $1.3 billion.
The houses are negotiating for a unified budget bill.
Since Washington is one of the few states in the country that funds its education through a general fund, lawmakers are faced with difficult decisions.
“Schools are going to get some money back from federal stimulus packages,” Kessler said.
Without federal dollars, the state’s K-12 funding would likely be cut by 8.6 percent. With the federal fund, the projected cut is 6.9 percent.
Rural school districts, such as Quillayute Valley in Forks and Cape Flattery in Neah Bay, depend on levy equalization funds for general operations.
Kessler said keeping levy equalization is vital to the 24th District.
By comparison, the state’s human services would be cut 22 percent under the House proposal.
“In the end, we have to line it all up,” Kessler said of the budget.
“That’s the hard part.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
