NW legislative briefs

Washington

New numbers show $300 million hit to budget

OLYMPIA - New numbers shows the state's projected budget deficit has grown by $300 million.

The numbers released Thursday during a Washington State Caseload Forecast Council briefing show that the recent hit is primarily because Medicaid services are being more heavily used than forecasters had projected.

That means lawmakers are facing a roughly $1.3 billion budget shortfall, not counting additional money needed for a court-ordered requirement that they increase funding to basic education. The state's revenue forecast, due next Wednesday, has lawmakers bracing for even more bad news in the midst of the 105-day legislative session.

DOT reviewing three megaprojects

OLYMPIA - New state Transportation Department Secretary Lynn Peterson has ordered a review of three megaprojects: a new Interstate 5 bridge crossing the Columbia River, and the new Highway 520 floating bridge and the tunnel replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle.

Each project costs billions of dollars.

Peterson said Thursday the assessment would be led by a program manager for the CH2M Hill engineering company, Ron Paananen. He's the former DOT project director for the Seattle tunnel project.

His review is due by the end of September. He'll recommend ways to clarify lines of decision-making, resolve disputes and hold down costs.

House GOP budget adds $550 million to education

OLYMPIA - Republicans in the state House want lawmakers to add about $550 million to K-12 education this year as the first step in a multi-billion-dollar effort to fully fund classrooms.

Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, unveiled his proposal Thursday that contained only one area of tax revenue - a plan centered around ending a tax break for residential telephone services. His budget proposal would block teacher cost-of-living increases, shorten the amount of time low-income families can get assistance and cut state agency budgets further.

"I'm convinced that when we finish up (this session), we can balance this budget with reforms, resizing and reduction - without new tax increases," Alexander said.

Some lawmakers have argued the state needs to add some $1 billion to education this year in order to satisfy the Supreme Court's funding mandate, and the Legislature is looking to add an estimated $4.5 billion to K-12 education dollars by 2018.

Alexander's plan includes adding about $800 million to programs like class-size reduction and full-day kindergarten in response to a state Supreme Court ruling that says the state isn't adequately funding basic education. However, his budget plan would also suspend automatic cost-of-living increases for teachers, saving about $300 million.

Idaho

House clears bill protecting Idaho-made firearms

BOISE - House lawmakers have gotten behind a bill protecting firearms manufactured in the state from any future attempts by the federal government to confiscate weapons.

The measure that easily passed Thursday on a 61-7 vote calls for exempting guns with a "Made in Idaho" stamp from any future federal restrictions on firearms already considered legal in the state.

Nampa Republican Rep. Christy Perry said the legislation sends a symbolic message to the federal government and protects Idahoans' Second Amendment rights.

The bill is one of two proposals making their way through the legislature intended to embolden state safeguards against federal intrusion.

A second bill would make it a misdemeanor for sheriff's deputies and police officers to aid federal agents trying to seize firearms in the state.

Idaho tax panel kills road financing plan

BOISE - The House Revenue and Taxation Committee dumped a bid to help developers to finance highway projects with bonds backed by Idaho sales taxes.

Thursday's 9-6 rejection came after representatives said they were leery of putting Idaho taxpayers on the hook, if tax revenue promised to accompany such projects to pay for the bonds doesn't materialize.

Jeremy Pisca is a lobbyist representing developer M3 with land along State Highway 16 in southwestern Idaho that could have benefited from a so-called "Transportation and Economic Development Zone."

Pisca contends strict rules would have protected Idaho from risky endeavors - while freeing up money for infrastructure projects that the state Transportation Department can't pay for now.

But Rep. Lenore Barrett of Challis dubbed it a "fly now, pay later" government program that could backfire.

Panel advances bill on teacher hiring, salaries

BOISE - Idaho public schools could have more flexibility to hire fewer teachers and use money saved from those salaries for other programs under legislation passed by a House panel.

The House Education Committee voted Thursday to advance a bill giving districts power to employ 9.5 percent fewer teachers without risking so-called "use it or lose it" dollars - which are typically set aside for teacher salaries.

The measure also allows schools to spend 15 percent of the money saved on salaries to send students to other schools.

Director of the Idaho Association of School Administrators Rob Winslow said the measure gives districts more latitude to manage their finances.

The Idaho Education Association teachers union and the Idaho School Board Association are backing the proposal.

The bill includes a one-year sunset provision.

Associated Press