Today, state Senate Republicans in Olympia came up with an updated supplementary budget proposal.
As the Seattle Times notes, it draws on money from the state reserves -- something they had initially been reluctant to do. There have been hints that negotiators in the Legislature were nearing agreement: When Gov. Jay Inslee called for a special session to get it done, he suggested it would likely only last a few days.
Though Republicans were originally adamant about using only the state’s general fund, today’s proposal draws almost $200 million from the state’s reserve funds, which is more closely aligned with the Democrats’ plans for budget allocation. The Times' Joe O'Sullivan note that using the reserve fund in this way might free up money from the general fund for other things. The new budget proposal would also raise $57 million from a change in taxes for TV content providers.
