The Employment Security Department just sent out a message to the nearly 200,000 people receiving unemployment benefits: File early this week.

Because benefits have increased (see post below), the department needs time to make changes to accounts. So: “Telephone and Web access for filing weekly unemployment claims on active accounts will close at noon on Fri., May 8 and will reopen at midnight on Saturday.”

That means if you miss the noon deadline, you will need to call the unemployment hotline between May 11 and 15 for assistance. The number is 1-800-318-6022.

Confused? Just file your claim well before noon this Friday and you should be ok.

Tags: unemployment

People across the state — from Gov. Chris Gregoire to rural school district administrators — are now thinking about the Legislature going into special session. The regular session ended at midnight last night, but the Legislature felt they have unfinished business, mainly in the form of policy bills required to implement some of the savings called for in the budget.

But how does a special session work? Here’s what we know so far.

The Legislature can vote to bring themselves into special session, but it requires a certain a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.

The other option: Gov. Chris Gregoire can call the Legislature back.

Either way, special session cannot exceed 30 days.

But: If the Legislature votes themselves into special session, they can limit the scope and time frame of the session. If it’s called by the governor, not so.

This special session, if and when it’s called, will be by Gov. Chris Gregoire. And that means all bets are off: She can’t place a time limit on the session (other than the 30-day limit, of course) and no one can restrict what bills can be brought up.

And, because any bill introduced this session is still alive — all the way through next session — that means lawmakers have another chance to try to revive the bills they’re fighting for.

But: Gov. Chris Gregoire and Sen. Lisa Brown have both said that they want to come into special session with an understanding of what’s on the table. That means they’ll work over the next few days to negotiate (levy lid lifts and illegal immigrant offender deportation, among others) before reconvening.

Both have indicated that they want the special session to last no more than a day or two. (I haven’t spoken to Speaker of the House Frank Chopp about it yet, but will update here when I hear from the House.)

That said: They’ve also both indicated that their priority bills are on their minds. Brown said the bill to amend Initiative 937 (which requires utilities to buy a certain amount of energy from renewable sources) is still on her mind, and Gregoire said her climate change legislation is still important to her.

What happens if session lasts until 12:01 a.m. on the 31st day? They would have to call another special session.

Tags: special session

The Senate is back on the floor — floor action has been a bit hard to come by today — and debating the bill to suspend teacher cost-of-living pay increases.

By the closest of margins — 23 to 22 — a striking amendment by Sen. Chris Marr passed. Shortly after, the Senate tabled the bill.

What’s the amendment do? It sets a date that the COLAs will have to be restored. And it guarantees that, when COLAs are restored, they’re ramped back up so that pay is equal to what it would have been if COLAs were not suspended.

And now: They’re back in caucus.

Tags: COLAs

- For starters, it’s April 15: Tax day. (And tax protest day, including a planned capitol rally at noon.)

- Neither House nor Senate are on the floor right now, but they will be soon.

- The House plans to take up the domestic partnership bill this afternoon and the bill to elect the U.S. President by popular vote after dinner, though that may change.

- The Senate may take up felon voting rights and the Apple Health plan changes.

- Tonight, the Senate Ways and Means Committee will consider the Senate’s operating budget.

- And at 7 and 10 p.m., watch The Impact. I’ll have more details on the show soon.

Rep. Gary Alexander sent out a reaction to the Senate Democrats’ budget.

Here’s what he had to say:
“The Senate’s solution to closing the state’s nearly-$9 billion budget shortfall is shortsighted, relies too much on one-time money, attempts to bait the public into buying off on a tax increase, and sets us up for budget shortfalls again in the near future.

“It seems Senate budget writers still don’t get it. While Washington families are making do with less, state government is going to get more. This next biennium’s budget actually spends more money than the last one when you add the one-time funding from the federal stimulus and capital budget transfers.

“Instead of streamlining government and delivering services more efficiently and effectively, the Senate proposes to use nearly $5 billion in one-time federal and state money to backfill the overspending of the last four years. Because we’re not actually making systemic changes to the process, we’re going to be right back in the same situation in the very immediate future.

“The Senate proposes to borrow money for operating expenses by transferring capital budget dollars to the operating budget. The reduction in capital budget money will then be backfilled by more bonding. In essence, we’re placing daily expenses on the state’s credit card which is a horrible and shortsighted budgeting practice. This sets us up for deficit spending down the road.

“Finally, making the most dramatic cuts in K-12 education is, I believe, a way of making the most noise possible with the budget reductions as a way to convince the public that a tax increase for education is needed. This is not so. We can balance the budget, fund education and protect our most vulnerable without raising taxes on hard-working families.

“Borrowing against our future, relying upon one-time money, and hoping for a tax increase at the ballot is not the type of leadership our state needs right now.”

Stay tuned for another take on the budget: Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn.

Tags: Budget

The Senate’s proposed operating budget comes out in a mere two hours. It’s the beginning of a very budget-centric week. Here’s a look at our programming:

LIVE this morning at 10:30 with the Senate Democrats’ budget roll-out, and at noon with the House transportation budget unveiling.

LIVE Tuesday morning 10 a.m., when House Democrats roll out their version of the budget.

Monday and Tuesday afternoons we’ll be LIVE with House and Senate committee public hearings on the budgets.

Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Impact with Jennifer Huntley will focus exclusively on detailing the House and Senate budgets.

Thursday at 7 p.m. on Inside Olympia host Austin Jenkins interviews House Speaker Frank Chopp.

Watch all of this on TVW or at tvw.org.

In addition to live coverage, I’ll also be blogging here and posting the shows here, too. As for live-blogging, standard conditions apply: I’ll be at the press conferences posting as much of what they say as I can.

The House Democrats just sent out an announcement: Rep. Dawn Morrell has been chosen by the Democratic caucus to replace former chairman, Rep. Bill Grant, who died in January.

According to the release, Morrell was elected vice chairwoman before session and has been serving as the chair.

Tags: caucus

On TVW right now, the House is debating House Bill 2295, the bill to “streamline” the Department of Social and Health Services.

Rep. Mike Armstrong said during debate on an amendment that he was surprised to find that DSHS is composed of nine separate departments — four of those are bigger than most state agencies. He said this bill could save money.

Rep. Eileen Cody, speaking on the bill, said it would not break the agency into smaller parts — as Armstrong’s amendment called for — but would eliminate some regional networks and reorganize the agency. She said the agency networks were designed in the 70s, when the Internet wasn’t around to simplify things.

Back to Armstrong: “What this bill does is it distinguishes Eastern Washington as separate from Western Washington … I think it’s pretty devastating to Eastern Washington.”

Back to Cody: “The current language of the bill … allows for the Department — DSHS — to decide where the regions are going to be.” She said it would not be devastating to Eastern Washington.

Rep. Jan Angel: Reading from a letter that says the timing of the bill is bad. “The reshuffling of the RSN administrative units may only add to the problem with unintended consequences.” She said the cost-saving bill could cause more problems than it solves.

Rep. Kelli Linville said yes, streamlining could affect services. But, with $8 billion to cut, that’s inevitable.
The bill passed. The House is now adjourned.

Tags: DSHS

Watch TVW right now for discussion of House Bill 1694, the “early action savings” bill that would cut about $600 million from the remaining five months of the state budget.

Rep. Gary Alexander said early savings are good, but passing a full supplemental budget would have been better.

More soon after the jump. (more…)

Tags: Budget, cuts, House

Gov. Chris Gregoire issued a statement about the Senate’s bill to cut about $105 million in spending. She said the Senate “acted quickly to pass additional savings” and that she wants “to make certain the plan allows enough flexibility to adequately staff vital state functions.”

“It will take all of us to solve this budget problem, so I am pleased to hear the House is working to pass its supplemental budget in the coming days.”

Tags: Budget, Governor, House, Senate