The 2016 legislative session begins on Monday, January 11. The session is scheduled to last for 60 days, ending Thursday, March 10. Our Catholic Advocacy Day is scheduled for Monday, February 8, the beginning of the fifth week. Click here to register for Advocacy Day.
Politically, the House and Senate are narrowly split. The House Democrats have a 50 to 48 majority and the Senate Republicans are holding a 25 to 24 advantage. This session precedes the 2016 elections when all nine statewide offices, 98 House seats and 25 Senate seats are up for grabs.
The budget picture is less than certain. The November 2015 revenue forecast was up by $101 million, but to maintain funding of the budget passed in 2015, $500 million is needed. The shortfall may have an impact on budget decisions made in this supplemental budget year. The costs associated with the wildfires and caseload increases are two immediate needs that will be funded in the supplemental budget. It is expected that at least $178 million will be added for wildfire costs and at least $180 million in rising Medicaid caseloads.
This Legislature must address a variety of court mandates - the largest of which concerns basic education funding. The state's Supreme Court decision in McCleary requires full funding of K-12 education by the 2018-2019 school year. Because this is a supplemental budget session, McCleary may not be addressed in the budget, though a plan to achieve full funding is expected. There are several court cases that found the State deficient in how it treats those with mental health issues and it is expected the Legislature will continue to work on policies and budget levels to improve these systems.
Last fall the Supreme Court ruled that charter schools could not receive common school funding because their governing boards are not elected. Several legislators have indicated a desire to "fix" this issue through alternative funding rather than through the common school budget. The amount has yet to be quantified.
While dealing with the ramifications of these court cases, the Legislature ironically finds the budget dependent on the courts blocking the implementation of I-1366. This initiative, approved by voters in November, would force a devastating cut of one full percentage point to the state sales tax - amounting to a $1.5 billion loss on April 15th - unless the Legislature places a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. If approved by voters, the amendment would mandate a super-majority legislative vote to raise taxes.
Bills introduced during the 2015 session can still be acted on by the 2016 Legislature. Here are some key dates for the upcoming session:
• January 11 - 2016 session starts
• February 5 - last day for policy committees to act on their policy bills
• February 8 - Catholic Advocacy Day
• March 10 - last day of the regular session
For the complete mailing, please visit the WSCC website.
The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) is the public policy voice of the Catholic Bishops of Washington State.
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