Gov. Inslee: Lawmakers made no ‘significant progress’ toward state budget

Lawmakers essentially wasted the first special legislative session and are still divided over a state operating budget, according to Governor Jay Inslee.

KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross wanted to know why an additional 30 days wasn’t enough time.

“The legislators didn’t reach an agreement and didn’t make significant progress until maybe the last 24 hours,” Inslee told Ross and KIRO Radio’s Colleen O’Brien.

The good news is that the parties are now willing to make necessary compromises to do their job and solidify a budget that is sustainable, further funds education and takes care of the state’s mental health “challenges,” Inslee said. The bad news: It took 29 days to get to this point.

The second special session began Friday. Lawmakers have until July 1 to agree on a budget. If they don’t, some of the state’s government services will shut down.

In order to prevent a government shutdown, Inslee is telling lawmakers meet face-to-face on Monday. He is urging them to get the work done as fast as possible.

Will lawmakers get anything done quickly, knowing there’s a safety net of a special session? If anyone working in the private sector didn’t make a deadline there would be consequences, O’Brien pointed out.

Lawmakers will have their pay docked starting July 1 if they don’t come to agreement on a budget, Inslee responded.

But that’s after two other sessions, O’Brien responded.

“Everyone frustrated with this needs to get behind me,” Inslee replied.

Democrats and Republicans are “several hundred million dollars” apart in their budgets, according to Inslee. Though the state has $3.2 billion more for its next budget, the requirements, including funding education, are making it difficult to come to agreement.

There could be “significant” consequences for not agreeing on a 2015-17 budget, Inslee said.

“We don’t want to think about the consequences of not reaching it,” he added.