Moxee Lawmaker Says Budget Must be Focus of Session

State Representative David Taylor of Moxee is not confident lawmakers will agree on a state budget in a special session that started Monday in Olympia.

Taylor says passing a budget is the number one priority. But he says the Governor wants lawmakers to also take action on the reproductive parity and DUI bills among others policy issues. Taylor says after the budget is passed and lawmakers go home they can prepare to debate the issues the Governor wants passed in next year's legislative session. Budget writers in the House and Senate have met a few times since the regular session adjourned on April 28.

But with no deal reached during their two-week interim, the special legislative session that started Monday could take its full allotted 30 days, if not longer. Taylor says “my hope is that the House and Senate agree that we are there to pass a budget and those bills that are necessary for the budget all other business can wait until next year.”

A mostly empty senate was gaveled into order on Monday morning, but most lawmakers were not expected to return until Today.