OLYMPIA — Reaction from the 24th District’s two state House members to Gov. Christine Gregoire’s proposed 2005-2007 state budget came down Monday along party lines.
Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, who helped Gregoire with parts of the proposal, said she was pleased with the proposed two-year, $25.8 billion spending plan.
But Rep. Jim Buck, R-Joyce, said he was disappointed in the governor’s first budget effort — especially Gregoire’s proposed tax increases and higher spending levels.
“I’m pleased with the money for our community colleges,” Kessler said.
The budget adds 6,600 slots for higher education students, including 3,500 at the state’s community and technical colleges, such as Peninsula College.
“The $738 million in new revenue gave us some breathing space,” Kessler said.
“Hopefully our economy will only continue to grow, so we’re being pretty conservative because of that.”
Gregoire’s budget also begins the state’s commitment to cover healthcare costs for all children, Kessler said.
Hospital reimbursements
And the lawmaker, who is House majority leader, said she also is pleased by the $28 million increase in state reimbursements for hospitals that provide “charity care” to patients who can’t pay.
But she is “not real excited” about leaving nursing home reimbursement rates the same.
Buck was particularly critical of the tax increases called for in Gregoire’s spending plan.
The tax boosts were a last-minute addition, the governor said at a news conference to unveil the budget.
“I’m disappointed in [the budget],” Buck said.
“I’m disappointed in the estate tax. I’m voting “no” on that and the proposed cigarette tax increase.”
Buck said he wondered why government would be financed with something — cigarettes — that advertising tells people not to buy.
“How is a kid supposed to take those anti-smoking billboards seriously when we are using smoking to finance things in this budget?” Buck asked.
Buck noted that the proposal is the governor’s idea of how she wants things to look.
It will be interesting, he said, to see how Gregoire’s plan is reconciled with the House and Senate versions.
The House’s version might be close to Gregoire’s, but probably not the Senate’s, he said.
State Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Kessler, Buck and Hargrove represent the 24th District, which includes Clallam and Jefferson counties and the northern part of Grays Harbor County.
