OLYMPIA… Putting the money where their mouths are, Majority Coalition Caucus capital-budget writers unveiled a budget proposal today that prioritizes education funding and job creation.
Sen. Jim Honeyford, capital budget chairman, and Sen. Bruce Dammeier, who assisted with writing the capital budget, lauded the proposal as being prioritized, focused, and limited.
- redirecting a substantial amount of funding to support Washington schools,
- create thousands of new private-sector jobs,
- reduce the state’s debt limit, and
- address environmental and ecological clean-up projects.
“We wanted to write a budget that made a difference at the community level,” said Honeyford, R-Sunnyside. “Getting people back to work by helping businesses create private-sector jobs was a priority, as was supporting our schools. By refocusing some revenue streams to support K-12 operating costs, we’re breaking old trends and investing in an area that needs critical attention.”
“With the momentum we’ve had in the Majority Coalition Caucus, we’ve been able to make progress toward reducing debt, freeing up cash and keeping the budget sustainable,” said Dammeier, R-Puyallup. “This is a realistic approach to the state capital budget that shows we respect the taxpayers’ money by making sure our proposal is financially sound.”
Honeyford and Dammeier said a clear set of guiding principles helped when developing the capital budget. The principles included:
- Respecting the diverse needs of our communities;
- Focusing on health, safety, education, and jobs; and
- Leaving capacity in the budget to consider shifting demands in the future.
If approved by the full Senate, the capital budget proposal would need to be considered and passed by the House of Representatives before taking effect.
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For more information contact Erich R. Ebel at (360) 786-7395 or erich.ebel@leg.wa.gov,
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