Lawmakers Can’t Finish Work On Time Special Session Planned

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The House's budget chair says Washington lawmakers will not finish their work by Sunday's deadline and will need a special session to work out the details on the state budget and adequately paying for public education.

Gov. Jay Inslee agrees with Rep. Ross Hunter's assessment. But he says special session plans haven't been talked about yet.

Hunter says there's no chance of an agreement this week on the Legislature's response to the Supreme Court's 2012 McCleary decision on public school funding.

And according to Hunter, lawmakers aren't close to an agreement on the budget either.

Lawmakers have a contempt order from the Supreme Court hanging over their heads this session. They were told to make a plan for responding to the McCleary decision before they head home from Olympia this year.