2011 State Legislative Session Overview Print E-mail
jim-blog1Operating budget picture not pretty, Spokane fares well in capital budget.

The 2011 Legislative Session ended a few weeks ago, and it's time to sift through the details and spotlight what happened.

The operating budget stole much of the spotlight due to the major cuts to K-12 and higher education, as well as health care and other social services. Workers' compensation reform was another contentious issue.

The major cuts to K-12 education included a suspension of the cost of living adjustments for teachers and the elimination of K-4 class size reduction. But the biggest cut came due to suspending the Initiative 728 Student Achievement Program, which allocates a per-student dollar amount to districts to be used for class size reduction. Total cuts for I-728 totaled $860.7 million.

Tuition at public higher education institutions will increase at varying rates, and money from the state to those schools will be reduced.

The Basic Health program was another large cut in the operating budget. $202 million was cut from the program.

Workers' compensation reform made it through the Legislature after weeks of debate. The final compromise will allow injured workers to volunteer to get a lump sum of money.

On the capital budget side of things, Spokane fared very well. 

The state allocated $35 million to begin construction on the Biomedical & Health Sciences Building Phase I at WSU Spokane. Eastern Washington University received $30.5 million for construction at Patterson Hall, and Spokane Falls Community College received more than $17 million for campus classrooms.

For a much more detailed look at the operating and capital budgets, click here.

To see the wins and concerns for the Spokane region, click here.