Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 22, 1999
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Saying the proposal deserves bipartisan support in the Legislature, the governor said last week's rise in the state revenue forecast removes any doubt about whether the $71.9 million supplemental budget is affordable. The Senate is expected to approve it Wednesday.
Locke called for the Legislature's approval of the supplemental budget as he stood with Senate and House Democrats who support the Senate proposal.
The Senate's supplemental budget proposal includes $53 million for public-schools construction, makes repairs to state community and technical college facilities, and addresses the state's liability in the Washington State University Trust Fund settlement.
It also provides the state's traditional support for county and community fairs over the next three years, begins an endowment to make life better for developmentally disabled people, and ensures fire alarms in state veterans' homes are immune to Year 2000 computer problems.
"The Senate's supplemental budget proposal reflects what Washington voters want," Locke said. "It shows compassion toward residents most in need while taking a fiscally responsible approach in financing construction of education facilities."
The Senate proposal for finalizing the current, 1997-99 biennial budget includes:
- $39.3 million for K-12 schools construction, plus $13.8 million to meet local school districts' immediate need for state matching funds for approved projects.
- $30 million for repairs at state community and technical colleges across Washington.
- $6.2 million for disaster relief for counties and cities hit by flooding and landslides.
- $10.8 million to pay the costs of fighting wild fires, including a -- $3 million contingency fund for dealing with future forest fire expenses.
- $5 million for the proposal by Sens. Lorraine Wojahn and Dan McDonald for an endowment for families caring for developmentally disabled children — a plan in which the state would match a family's financial contribution for the long-term care of a developmentally disabled family member.
- $150,000 to make sure smoke alarms in veterans' homes are not affected by Y2K bugs.
- $16.5 million to cover shortfalls in Department of Social and Health Services programs for the elderly, poor and juvenile rehabilitation.
- $1 million for emergency food assistance.
The governor said the Senate supplemental budget proposal takes a conservative approach to school financing by making one-time investments of surplus funds in the common school construction fund, which will give that fund more building power in the 1999-01 biennium, despite rising bond interest costs. The same approach applies to facility repairs at state community and technical colleges.
The governor said the Senate supplemental budget addresses $4.8 million in state liabilities arising from a settlement related to pay for state alcohol and drug treatment workers. It makes a $20 million contribution to the $36 million Washington State University trust land settlement, which will lead to construction of a new health-sciences building at the WSU campus.
Locke said the Senate's supplemental budget proposal also provides $1.1 million in matching funds to help the Nature Conservancy protect wildlife habitat.
The governor said the Senate proposal is an affordable supplemental budget, particularly in light of last week's update of the state revenue forecast, which added $159 million in state revenue through the end of the 1999-01 biennium.
"I'm as concerned as anyone about the need to maintain adequate reserve funds and observe the Initiative 601 spending limit," Locke said. "And that's why my budget proposals through the 1999-01 biennium left state spending $60 million below the 601 limit and provided more than $500 million in reserve funds. With the new revenue forecast, spending to the 601 limit still would leave $670 million in reserve."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 22, 1999
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Locke says new supplemental budget makes wise investments
OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke today said the Senate's new supplemental budget proposal makes wise investments in school construction, answers the emergency needs of flooding victims and ensures adequate funding for human services.Saying the proposal deserves bipartisan support in the Legislature, the governor said last week's rise in the state revenue forecast removes any doubt about whether the $71.9 million supplemental budget is affordable. The Senate is expected to approve it Wednesday.
Locke called for the Legislature's approval of the supplemental budget as he stood with Senate and House Democrats who support the Senate proposal.
The Senate's supplemental budget proposal includes $53 million for public-schools construction, makes repairs to state community and technical college facilities, and addresses the state's liability in the Washington State University Trust Fund settlement.
It also provides the state's traditional support for county and community fairs over the next three years, begins an endowment to make life better for developmentally disabled people, and ensures fire alarms in state veterans' homes are immune to Year 2000 computer problems.
"The Senate's supplemental budget proposal reflects what Washington voters want," Locke said. "It shows compassion toward residents most in need while taking a fiscally responsible approach in financing construction of education facilities."
The Senate proposal for finalizing the current, 1997-99 biennial budget includes:
- $39.3 million for K-12 schools construction, plus $13.8 million to meet local school districts' immediate need for state matching funds for approved projects.
- $30 million for repairs at state community and technical colleges across Washington.
- $6.2 million for disaster relief for counties and cities hit by flooding and landslides.
- $10.8 million to pay the costs of fighting wild fires, including a -- $3 million contingency fund for dealing with future forest fire expenses.
- $5 million for the proposal by Sens. Lorraine Wojahn and Dan McDonald for an endowment for families caring for developmentally disabled children — a plan in which the state would match a family's financial contribution for the long-term care of a developmentally disabled family member.
- $150,000 to make sure smoke alarms in veterans' homes are not affected by Y2K bugs.
- $16.5 million to cover shortfalls in Department of Social and Health Services programs for the elderly, poor and juvenile rehabilitation.
- $1 million for emergency food assistance.
The governor said the Senate supplemental budget proposal takes a conservative approach to school financing by making one-time investments of surplus funds in the common school construction fund, which will give that fund more building power in the 1999-01 biennium, despite rising bond interest costs. The same approach applies to facility repairs at state community and technical colleges.
The governor said the Senate supplemental budget addresses $4.8 million in state liabilities arising from a settlement related to pay for state alcohol and drug treatment workers. It makes a $20 million contribution to the $36 million Washington State University trust land settlement, which will lead to construction of a new health-sciences building at the WSU campus.
Locke said the Senate's supplemental budget proposal also provides $1.1 million in matching funds to help the Nature Conservancy protect wildlife habitat.
The governor said the Senate proposal is an affordable supplemental budget, particularly in light of last week's update of the state revenue forecast, which added $159 million in state revenue through the end of the 1999-01 biennium.
"I'm as concerned as anyone about the need to maintain adequate reserve funds and observe the Initiative 601 spending limit," Locke said. "And that's why my budget proposals through the 1999-01 biennium left state spending $60 million below the 601 limit and provided more than $500 million in reserve funds. With the new revenue forecast, spending to the 601 limit still would leave $670 million in reserve."
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