Senate Oks Budget That Funds Mental Health, Charter Schools

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Senate has passed its supplemental budget proposal a day after the House passed its plan, and now both sides will negotiate a final budget as lawmakers enter the final two weeks of the 60-day legislative session. The Republican-led Senate approved its plan on a 25-22 vote, after rejecting 19 amendments offered up by Democrats. The proposal, which would add about $34 million to the two-year, $38 billion operating budget adopted last year, puts money toward repairing damage from last summer's wildfires and aiding the state's mental health system. It would also keep charter schools open by providing $6.6 million from the state's Opportunity Pathways Account to pay for them.