This Washington
Murray Budget in Hands of Conservative Democrats
State senate budget chief, Sen. Ed Murray (D-43, Seattle), the ways and means committee chair who has gotten a standing ovation for his budget proposal from progressives (a first from Olympia in years), told PubliCola this morning that the Republicans may be making a credible effort to pass their own budget.
By leaving less money in reserve, delaying local school payments by 24 hours, and grabbing some money from the capital budget, Murray's budget makes no cuts to education, maintains the Basic Health Plan and the Disability Lifeline for the poor, and goes easier on the environment than all the other proposals in the mix, including the house Democrats' proposal .
Despite the Democrats' official 27-22 majority, an ad hoc bloc of increasingly powerful conservative Democrats known by the self-deprecating sobriquet "The Roadkill Caucus " (like roadkill, they're in the center lane between liberals and conservatives), may side with the Republicans.
"I've been told that the Republicans are attempting to pass a their own budget by going after roadkill votes," Murray said.
Murray has seen an earlier Republican proposal—put together by the ranking Republican on ways and means, Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-18, Ridgefield)—and says it cuts too deeply into health care, human services, and the environment.[pullquote]Murray tells PubliCola he has 24 votes ... "Right now." He needs 25.[/pullquote]
We have a message in to Sen. Zarelli. However, if his budget is anything like the house Republicans' proposal—which reduces the Department of Ecology by 14 percent and eliminates all general fund dollars for the Puget Sound Partnership, ends funding for the Basic Health Plan (health insurance for the poor), reduces health care eligibility for children of undocumented parents from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to 133 percent, and reduces funding for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF)—Murray is right.
Additionally, Sen. Zarelli is on record in favor of scaling back state employee pensions, calling for a balanced budget amendment, and lowering the state's debt limit. Another Roadkill idea (that's already in Murray's budget proposal) is having the state take over teachers' health care plans. (Currently, local teachers' union shop for plans on the open market.)
The Roadkill Caucus, which includes Sens. Jim Kastama (D-25, Puyallup), Rodney Tom (D-48, Bellevue), Tim Sheldon (D-35, Potlatch), Paull Shin (D-21, Edmonds), and Brian Hatfield (D-19, Raymond, Grays Harbor, and Pacific County), and Mary Margaret Haugen (D-10, Camano Island) is led by Steve Hobbs (D-44, Lake Stevens), which puts Hobbs in a funny position.
Can Democrat Hobbs—a Murray ally—deliver the Democratic votes that Murray needs? Murray tells PubliCola he has 24 votes ... "Right now." He needs 25.
Hobbs is running for US Congress in a packed Democratic field in the 1st District (Murray endorsed Hobbs over a crew of liberals). It won't help Hobbs' candidacy for the Democratic nomination if his troops jump to the Republican side.
We have a call in to Hobbs.
By leaving less money in reserve, delaying local school payments by 24 hours, and grabbing some money from the capital budget, Murray's budget makes no cuts to education, maintains the Basic Health Plan and the Disability Lifeline for the poor, and goes easier on the environment than all the other proposals in the mix, including the house Democrats' proposal .
Despite the Democrats' official 27-22 majority, an ad hoc bloc of increasingly powerful conservative Democrats known by the self-deprecating sobriquet "The Roadkill Caucus " (like roadkill, they're in the center lane between liberals and conservatives), may side with the Republicans.
"I've been told that the Republicans are attempting to pass a their own budget by going after roadkill votes," Murray said.
Murray has seen an earlier Republican proposal—put together by the ranking Republican on ways and means, Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-18, Ridgefield)—and says it cuts too deeply into health care, human services, and the environment.[pullquote]Murray tells PubliCola he has 24 votes ... "Right now." He needs 25.[/pullquote]
We have a message in to Sen. Zarelli. However, if his budget is anything like the house Republicans' proposal—which reduces the Department of Ecology by 14 percent and eliminates all general fund dollars for the Puget Sound Partnership, ends funding for the Basic Health Plan (health insurance for the poor), reduces health care eligibility for children of undocumented parents from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to 133 percent, and reduces funding for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF)—Murray is right.
Additionally, Sen. Zarelli is on record in favor of scaling back state employee pensions, calling for a balanced budget amendment, and lowering the state's debt limit. Another Roadkill idea (that's already in Murray's budget proposal) is having the state take over teachers' health care plans. (Currently, local teachers' union shop for plans on the open market.)
The Roadkill Caucus, which includes Sens. Jim Kastama (D-25, Puyallup), Rodney Tom (D-48, Bellevue), Tim Sheldon (D-35, Potlatch), Paull Shin (D-21, Edmonds), and Brian Hatfield (D-19, Raymond, Grays Harbor, and Pacific County), and Mary Margaret Haugen (D-10, Camano Island) is led by Steve Hobbs (D-44, Lake Stevens), which puts Hobbs in a funny position.
Can Democrat Hobbs—a Murray ally—deliver the Democratic votes that Murray needs? Murray tells PubliCola he has 24 votes ... "Right now." He needs 25.
Hobbs is running for US Congress in a packed Democratic field in the 1st District (Murray endorsed Hobbs over a crew of liberals). It won't help Hobbs' candidacy for the Democratic nomination if his troops jump to the Republican side.
We have a call in to Hobbs.
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