State Senate Narrowly Passes Spending Plan - No Agreement on Taxes to Pay for It

On Saturday, the State Senate adopted an operating budget with the bare minimum of 25 yes votes, with 19 no votes and 5 members excused. Curt Woodward's AP story explains it wasn't easy.

The Senate budget, a product of the Democratic majority, cleared its latest hurdle on a back-and-forth 25-19 vote. Several Democrats voted against their own budget, and a couple of senators had to switch their votes at the last minute to ensure the package would get the minimum number of "yes" votes required for approval.

The tax vote will be more difficult. Woodward writes:

As drafted, the Senate tax plan includes a three-tenths of a penny sales tax increase, a raft of deleted tax exemptions, and a $1-per-pack cigarette tax hike. But Democrats already are backing away from key portions, including a plan to drop the sales-tax exemption on the value of trade-in cars.

At least one Democrat who voted for the budget is not a sure bet for the tax vote.

[Sen. Chris] Marr said later he switched to yes “in the interest of moving ahead” but still has serious concerns that the budget cuts aren’t enough and proposed tax increases are too large.

...Although Democrats have 31 seats in the Senate, they don’t yet have 25 votes for a tax plan, Marr said: “Now we begin the discussions in earnest around loopholes and tax proposals.”

Senate Democrats post their account of the budget action here. Statements also from Republican leader Sen. Mike Hewitt and the GOP's budget leader Sen. Joe Zarelli.

Woodward reports that Democrats in both chambers are having trouble agreeing on taxes. Last week the Senate produced a tax plan that would have raised about $950 million.

Votes on bills to collect the revenue have not been scheduled, indicating there may not be support in the caucus.

That may not be enough money. At a Senate budget committee hearing Friday, Democrats restored what Republican members estimated was $70 million in spending.

And in the House, the on-again, off-again scheduled release of a revenue plan remains off again. unless you count this title-only bill. That doesn't mean they're not giving this a whole lot of thought. Jerry Cornfield's Petri Dish blog for the Everett Herald links to 8 pages of mostly bad revenue proposals submitted by House Democrats. 

Just a thought, here, but I'd guess that the smaller the revenue target, the better chance they have of getting agreement on how to reach it. Keep the tax number low, very low.