By Samantha Pak

spak@redmond-reporter.com

The state budget is front-and-center in the Legislature this session. It’s also on the minds of residents of the 48th Legislative District who packed Redmond City hall last Saturday to hear legislators discuss the issue.

“If this isn’t an economic emergency, I don’t know what is,” Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, told the crowd. “There’s a lot of very good programs out there that are going to get cut.”

Tom was joined by Reps. Deb Eddy, D-Kirkland and Ross Hunter, D-Bellevue, to answer questions and discuss the challenges that loom ahead

Tom said the state is facing a $6 billion deficit in its $32 billion budget, adding that hammering out the details of how and where to spend Washington’s money is the top priority for lawmakers in Olympia. Some cuts will be based on department histories and how efficiently they are being run.

Tom added that because of how deep the cuts will be, writing the budget is really going to take a bipartisan effort among legislators, which is something new for Washington.

Eddy agreed, saying there needs to be more give and take among the public and lawmakers alike. She said people need to come and work together more.

“What is called for now is the need to listen to each other,” she said.

The issue of closing tax loopholes came up as a way to raise taxes and as a result, raise revenue, but Tom said that would need a two-thirds vote from the Senate. Additionally, as shown in all but five of the state’s 49 districts, Washingtonians believe now is not the time to raise taxes.

There was also the question of extending current taxes, which was initially proposed as temporary fix. Eddy said that remains a possibility. However Tom opposes the idea because he thinks this will break down the public’s trust of politicians since they would be going back on earlier promises.

The legislators also voiced their opposition to moving funds from accounts designed for a certain purpose into the state’s general fund.

Eddy said it doesn’t make sense to keep asking the public for money to refill such accounts.

Hunter, who sponsored legislation in 2007 for a state rainy day fund, said there is currently $289 million in that fund, but that legislators are still not sure whether they will dip into the fund and if so, how much they will decide to spend. The fund was created as a way to save one percent of the state’s revenue during the good times so money would be available during the bad times.

State employees’ salaries also came into question and while Hunter does not believe they should be giving pay raises this year, he concedes that they need to be able to provide salaries comparable to the private sector in order to attract and retain quality and experienced employees.

The current state of Washington’s finances also brought up concerns about education.

Tom, who serves on the Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee as well as the Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, said there has been talk about giving public universities the power to set tuition, but because of the lack of state funds that could have institutions raising tuition up to 25 percent per year

Talks of the education budget also raised the question of the annual salary bonus the state provides for National Board-certified teachers. Hunter said he wants to continue the program because that bonus has become a base part of these teachers’ salaries.

In addition, Hunter said the quality of public education in Washington needs to be raised so students are better prepared for post-high school life, whether that means entering a two-year program, four-year university or directly into the workforce.

Hunter added that Washington schools need to find a fair way for students to demonstrate their knowledge since not everyone tests well, but this needs to be done in a cost-efficient way, given the current budget.

With the upcoming tolls on the State Route 520 bridge, transportation was another hot topic at the meeting. Eddy said that it is very likely that within three years, there will be a toll on the Interstate 90 bridge.

“I know some of you don’t like it,” Eddy told the crowd about the tolls. “It’s just the world we live in.”

Tom said these tolls, in addition to the potential high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on Interstate 405, is the likely direction Washington will be moving as a way to pay for its roads. Also, he noted, with the increase of electric vehicles on the road, the state’s revenue from gas taxes is decreasing.

Samantha Pak is a staff writer for the Redmond Reporter. She may be contacted at 425-867-0353, ext. 5052.