Evan Smith: Kagi calls proposed House budget ‘ugly’

Rep. Ruth Kagi D-32

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

State Rep. Ruth Kagi, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, calls the committee’s proposed budget “ugly.”

Kagi said Monday, April 11, that the budget includes steep cuts to higher education, the basic health plan and the disability lifeline and relies on suspending citizen-approved initiatives on reduced class sizes and pay raises for teachers.

But, she said, she is happy that the committee preserved support for basic education without cutting days from the school year.

Kagi said the proposal would keep a reduced health plan and disability lifeline. Before the legislative session, Gov. Christine Gregoire had proposed eliminating both programs.

Instead, Kagi said, the proposal simply reduces the number of people on basic health and the number of hours of help that people on disability lifeline would get.

Kagi said that Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ed Murray had told her that the Senate budget would be little different from the House budget. The biggest difference, Kagi said, would be that the proposed Senate budget wouldn’t include the House plan to sell the state’s wholesale liquor distribution center.

When the Senate ways and means committee’s budget came out at mid-week it also included a 3 percent pay cut for teachers, while the House plan simply freezes the amount of money for teacher pay.

Democrat Kagi represents Shoreline, Lake Forest Park and the rest of the 32nd Legislative District.