Well, we did say “may.” And we still think a compromise is in sight. But the latest reports from Olympia indicate lawmakers will not be called back this week to approve a budget and adjourn the special session. Jim Camden writes in the Spokesman-Review,
Washington residents likely will get a visit from the Easter Bunny before their state lawmakers get a budget deal.
A spokeswoman for the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus said Wednesday that lawmakers have not yet reached agreement on the supplemental operating budget, which was the subject of discussions, debate, disagreement and negotiation during the 60-day regular session. Work on the unfinished budget forced them into a special session two weeks ago.
No further details were announced. For those keeping score, today is Day 15, the halfway mark of the 30 day special session. Things, of course, could be much worse, as they are in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
Pennsylvania’s epic budget stalemate ended Wednesday when the Democratic governor backed off a recent veto threat, leaving just slivers of his once-ambitious agenda intact after nine months of partisan gridlock that threatened to shutter schools and forced layoffs at social service agencies…
A Republican-penned $6.6 billion supplemental spending package with no new taxes will become law Monday, leaving Illinois as the only state still without a budget in place for the current fiscal year.
And while it’s too early for a postmortem on the Olympia session, Austin Jenkins has a good look back on events so far this year. Probably the key thing left undone is the signing of the charter schools bill; for more on that, see this column by Jerry Cornfield in the Everett Herald.
It’s not over yet.
