This weekend’s 8th District town hall canceled due to special session!
Dear Friends,
Unfortunately,
because the Legislature is currently in special session and we do not have an
ending date, we must cancel our 8th Legislative District town hall, scheduled
for this Saturday, March 19.
If we are able to reschedule
the town hall after the special session ends, I will be sure to let you know
the new date.
In the meantime, I’d like to
share a brief update with you on the state of the budget negotiations.
As I mentioned in a previous
e-newsletter, during the regular session, the Senate passed a truly
supplemental budget update – one that made minor adjustments to address
emergency and unforeseen needs that have come up since the two-year budget was
adopted in July. Among other things, it pays for fighting last
summer’s wildfires, aids the state’s mental-health system and provides
$6.6 million from the state’s Opportunity Pathways Account to fund our state
charter schools.
By contrast, the House of
Representatives pushed through a budget that taps into the state’s "rainy-day fund"
for a total of $467 million. While $190 million of that is for the cost of
fighting last year’s wildfires, which everyone agrees is a real emergency, the
rest would go for new government spending.
The House budget would also
raise taxes by nearly $120 million in this next year alone.
Like last year, House Democrats
are holding on to unreasonable budget positions. They are negotiating with
money that doesn't exist without their tax increases – tax increases that they
don't even have the votes to pass.
Senate Republicans introduced a
new budget proposal last Friday that tries to meet the House halfway. It proposes
using existing money to deal with the Western State Hospital obligation and, like
the House, $190 million from the rainy-day fund to pay for wildfire-related
costs and policy changes.
As we continue to work to reach
a budget agreement, I welcome your thoughts and feedback. Please feel free to
contact me anytime via email or by calling me in Olympia at (360) 786-7614.
Thank you, as always, for the
continued opportunity to serve you in the state Senate.
Sincerely,
 Sharon Brown
State Senator
8th District
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