Evan Smith: Legislators say length of special session is ‘anyone’s guess’

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

State Rep. Ruth Kagi says that the length of the special legislative session that started Tuesday, April 26 is “anyone’s guess.”

When it became obvious that the state Senate and House of Representatives would not resolve their differences over the budget by the Sunday, April 24, deadline, Gov. Christine Gregoire sent legislators home for the Easter weekend and called them back for a special session that started Tuesday.

“A special session always lasts for a maximum of 30 days,” Kagi said Monday. ”It's anyone's guess if we will be done in two or three weeks -- or 30 days.”

 State Sen. Maralyn Chase agreed that the length of the special session is hard to predict.

“We have a lot of legislation to pass and it will not be easy,” Chase said, “So far, we haven't seen many of the bills that are considered necessary to implement the budget. Most bills just fly through the Legislature without the kind of review these bills are going to receive. The various executive department budgets are siloed and we seldom get the opportunity to weigh the differences between, as an example, the K-12 education budget and the DSHS developmental-disability budget in any meaningful fashion."

Chase and Kagi are Democrats representing Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Woodway, south Edmonds and the rest of the 32nd Legislative District.