The “Toxic Toys” bill, which would ban certain flame retardants from being used in children’s toys and products, would cost the state an estimated $400,000 in the next two-year budget cycle to implement. But the state isn’t considering the cost of treating more burn victims, said David Heimbach, the former director of the University of Washington Burn Center, who testified at the Senate Ways & Means committee on Thursday.

“Burns are the most expensive disease people can have,” Heimbach said. Children from lower socio-economic classes make up the majority of burn victims, he said, and they tend to be Medicaid patients who cost “money out of the state budget.”

Physician Laura Hart countered that the bill would “save significant healthcare dollars” in the long run. That’s because diseases like asthma, cancer and birth disabilities are linked to the chemicals in question, she said, and cost $1.8 billion a year to treat. The committee took no action on the bill.

Tags: toxic toys, Ways & Means

At the House Ways and Means Committee hearing today Marty Brown, the Director of the Office of Financial Management, laid out the Governor’s 2011 supplemental and 2011-2013 biennial budget proposals. The picture he painted wasn’t a pretty one.

“The supplemental, when you really start delving into this will be the hardest decisions you have to make,” Brown told the representatives.

If they don’t address a several hundred million dollar hole in the supplemental budget by February 4, Brown said deeper across-the-board cuts will have to be made. That would mean no longer providing hospice care, prescription, vision or dental the state’s neediest people, he said.

Here is the entire hearing:

Tags: House Ways and Means, Marty Brown, supplemental budget

The bill to allow universities to raise undergraduate tuition by more than 7 percent is getting a hearing in the House Ways & Means Committee now.

The Washington Student Lobby is against it — they say students have been hit by the recession, too, and that the 14 percent increase over two years would amount to about 30 percent. The university presidents are for it — they say it could help prevent budget cuts and be less costly than an extra term.

Here’s the bill report. The hearing is live on TVW now.

Tags: tuition

At noon, I’ll be watching the Governor’s inaugural address to the House and Senate. Join me — and feel free to e-mail in any questions you have about what she’s saying: nikis@tvw.org.

At 7 p.m., you should plan on watching The Impact. This week’s show will feature an interview with Gov. Chris Gregoire, a profile on the big issues lawmakers plan to tackle this session, and a segment with top legislators in the House and Senate answering your questions on the budget.

And when you’re done at the Inaugural Ball, come back home and tune into the 11 p.m. Legislative Review show. Today, I’ll recap the Governor’s address, cover her economic development proposals and drop in on the House Ways & Means committee’s continued public hearings on the proposed budget. I also have my eye on the 1:30 p.m. Higher Education Committee, where they will discuss federal and state actions in higher eduction.

Tags: Governor, Higher Education, The Impact, TVW

The 2009 Washington state Legislature starts on Monday. In the 105 days that follow, state lawmakers will need to put together a budget that addresses a projected $5.7 billion deficit.

Here’s Inside Olympia host Austin Jenkins talking to Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown and House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt:

And here’s the City Club of Tacoma’s annual legislative preview, which was earlier this week:

Now go get some rest and get ready for Monday.

Tags: Democrats, House, Legislature, Lisa Brown, Republicans, Richard DeBolt, Senate, Washington

As promised in the previous post, here’s a list of the budget-related public hearings scheduled for next week. For more info, go here.

Capital Budget, Mon. at 3:30 p.m. in HHRC. Capital budget proposals (supplemental and 2009-2011).

Education Appropriations, Tues. at 8 a.m. in HHRA. 2009-2011 operating budget for K-12.

Education Appropriations, Thurs. at 1:30 in HHRA. 2009-2011 operating budget for Higher Education. (more…)

Tags: Budget, House, Public Hearing, Senate, Ways & Means

During Tuesday’s legislative forum, a few officials alluded to the budget picture getting worse. They won’t know until the next forecast in March, but Gov. Chris Gregoire’s Legislative Director, Marty Brown, put it this way: “I don’t think anyone in the room expects the Revenue Forecast to be up in March.”

Here’s the full AP Forum:

How bad could it be? Sen. Joe Zarelli, a Republican budget writer, predicted the deficit would be closer to $7 billion.

How could the budget picture get worse?

- During Legislative Assembly Days in early December, Arun Raha, executive director of the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, told members of the Ways & Means committees that the council predicted zero growth in holiday retail sales. A decline in sales, he said, would mean lower-than-predicted revenues.

And then: Late December storms hit, unemployment increased, and reports indicate that people didn’t spend as much as last year. That means holiday retail sales declined. We won’t know by how much until February.

During the budget-writers panel discussion at the legislative forum on Tuesday, here’s what lawmakers had to say:
(more…)

Tags: Budget, Governor, House, Senate

Yesterday, lawmakers gathered in Olympia with dozens of reporters and editors from around the state for the annual Associated Press legislative forum. Their message: The budget will dominate this 105-day session.

Another message: This session will end in 105 days. To paraphrase Marty Brown, Gov. Chris Gregoire’s Legislative director: Budget decisions won’t get easier with more time. There’s no way to predict whether Legislators will be able to agree on a budget by the end of regular session, but several said it was an important goal.

Watch the entire forum here:

On the budget:
(more…)

Tags: Budget, Democrats, Governor, House, Public Policy, Republicans, Senate, Ways & Means