Gov. Inslee budget addresses teacher pay, carbon tax, orcas
Dec 15, 2017, 9:54 AM | Updated: 9:54 am
Governor Inslee proposed tapping the state's reserves to meet a final timeline required for Washington state to comply with a state Supreme Court mandate on education funding, and said he wants a new tax on carbon emissions from fossil fuels to ultimately backfill that withdrawal. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
By Essex Porter, KIRO 7
Gov. Jay Inslee is putting a carbon tax on the table as he lays out his budget for next year. If necessary, the money will go for court-ordered salary increases for teachers.
Lawmaker to ‘ignore’ Supreme Court on McCleary
Inslee, on Thursday, proposed an additional $950 million for teachers in next year’s budget. Because the State Supreme Court says teacher pay must be sufficient beginning Sept. 2018 instead of Sept. 2019 as the Legislature was planning.
The governor says money will come from the state’s rainy-day fund and he proposes a tax on carbon to refill that fund over the next four years, if economic growth doesn’t do the job.
“This is a way to get it done to use the reserves that are available in a responsible way, to also having a backstop which is a carbon pricing plan,” said Inslee at a news conference announcing his budget.
Supreme Court rules Legislature still failing to fund basic education
Senate Republican Mark Schoesler responded, “I am concerned about his willingness to raid the state’s reserves. How is that fiscally responsible? I also worry how the governor’s as-yet-unveiled ‘carbon pricing plan’ would affect family jobs in Washington.”
Republican leaders often say they can fully fund education without new taxes. Asked why he can’t, Inslee responded, “Cause I don’t make stuff up. I don’t have phony math. I don’t want to be too judgmental about Republicans right now because I’ve also complimented them because they did manage to find some really great progress on education.”
Inslee will also devote more than $100 million to Western State Hospital and a mental health system struggling with homelessness and the opioid crisis.
He’s devoting an additional $50 million to pay the bills run up in fighting this year’s wildfires.
Inslee is also adding $3.1 million to help orcas survive in Puget Sound.
“We know this, unless we intervene aggressively and quickly we could witness the demise of this iconic symbol of the state of Washington.”
The overall budget totals $44 billion. Inslee says he’ll release details of his carbon tax or fee in January.
