http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kplu/local-kplu-951719.mp3
Washington's legislature has hit the one-month mark. Budget writers say a deal is close at hand between the House and Senate to re-balance the current two-year spending plan. After that, attention will shift to the closing a multi-billion dollar shortfall in the next two-year budget.
At this stage in the legislative session it's a lot of public hearings and a lot of rallies on the steps of the capitol, like the one yesterday denouncing the governor's proposed cuts to Washington's pre-kindergarten program. But the real decision-making is happening behind the scenes.
House Budget Chair Ross Hunter describes negotiations on the supplemental budget:
"We've sent several offers back and forth with the Senate."
That's Olympia-speak for an amendment to the current spending plan.
In a normal year this would be pretty pro forma. Hunter says lawmakers might have to approve some extra money for – say - summer firefighting costs. But this year, there's a major shortfall:
"This is a big change. Reducing the budget problem by $600 million."
Hunter acknowledges it's a distraction from the bigger problem – an estimated $4.6 billion hole in the next two-year budget.
