Gregoire calls special session

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By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press Writer

Summary

Gov. Chris Gregoire has called for a 7-day special session starting on Monday so that lawmakers can finish their work on patching a $2.8 billion budget hole.

Story Published: Mar 11, 2010 at 9:48 PM PDT

Story Updated: Mar 12, 2010 at 12:28 AM PDT

Gregoire calls special session
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Gov. Chris Gregoire has called for a 7-day special session starting on Monday so that lawmakers can finish their work on patching a $2.8 billion budget hole.

Lawmakers adjourned their 60-day regular session on Thursday night. But House and Senate Democrats don't yet have an agreement on their updated budget plan or tax package, and they still need to pass a construction budget.

"There is much that has been accomplished in what is a very short session, but there is much more to do," Gregoire said.

Gregoire said that she wants the focus of the special session to be on fixing the budget, as well as passing a jobs package.

"We're going to find the right approach to cuts and revenue," she said. "Our legislature is committed to rebuilding the economic future of the state of Washington."

Earlier in the day, Gregoire said she needed to see that the House and Senate have reached an agreement on three things before she would call a special session: The size of the budget, the amount of revenue needed for that budget, and the amount they'll have left over for savings.

Democratic leaders want to use a mix of spending cuts, tax increases and one-time money to fix the budget hole. The House and Senate have each passed their own plans, but their revenue packages are about $200 million apart.

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown and House Speaker Frank Chopp said they that negotiations would continue through the weekend, and that lawmakers would return on Monday to start off the new session.

"I'm very optimistic," said Brown, D-Spokane. "We're not that far apart."

While Gregoire is able to suggest a timeframe and to limit debate to certain topics, it's not binding, and under the constitution, lawmakers can go as long as 30 days.

But Gregoire expressed confidence lawmakers would finish their work in the 7-day timeframe.

"We're going to get done," she said.

Republicans expressed frustration about heading into overtime.

"We came in here, and we knew we had a lot of work to do," said House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis. "We fiddled around and are still here with a lot of work to do."

Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, D-Walla Walla, called it a "dismal, incredulous debacle" and the Senate Republican caucus sent out a press release calling the need for a special session - at an estimated $18,000 a day - "a costly and embarrassing mistake."

Gregoire noted that nearly two dozen states went into special session last year, and that others are doing the same this year.

"To my friends on the other side of the aisle, explain to me how any state has done a better job than Washington state," she said.

Another "go home" issue for Gregoire had been progress on an education reform package that could allow the state to compete for federal funds on education reform. That bill was approved by the Legislature Thursday night.

The measure looks to make low-performing schools more accountable and creates a new teacher and principal evaluation system, something that must be done in order for the state eligible for the federal dollars.

The state's application for the Race to the Top program is due in June.

Chopp, D-Seattle, said he was particularly happy over the passage of that bill, along with other education bills, including a voluntary early learning program, in the waning hours of session.

"It was a tremendous effort that really came together at the end," he said.