education funding

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Inslee has asked state parks to remain open Friday as lawmakers move closer to moving a new state budget. Originally state park officials said because they need time to prepare the parks for closure, they needed to shutter them a day before a potential partial government shutdown...

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — With the deadline to avoid a potential government shutdown looming later this week, legislative leaders say that while they are close, they've not yet reached final agreement on a new two-year state operating budget. The Democratic-controlled House and Republican-led Senate have been struggling for months to reach agreement on a budget that addresses a state Supreme Court man

OLYMPIA  (AP) — Washington lawmakers are nearing the end of their second special session, and with no signs that the Senate and House are any closer to agreement on education funding, the necessity of a third overtime session seems all but inevitable...

OLYMPIA  (AP) — Washington lawmakers have adjourned their first special session but were immediately called back into overtime by Gov. Jay Inslee. The second special session started Tuesday, immediately after adjournment of the first one...

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Legislature has started a 30-day special session to address the still unresolved two-year state budget that must comply with a state Supreme Court order on education funding. Gov. Jay Inslee issued the official special session proclamation Monday, a day after the 105-day regular session ended with little fanfare...

OLYMPIA  (AP) — The Senate has passed a $43 billion two-year state budget proposal that relies, in part, on a statewide property tax earmarked for education, while also making cuts to some social services. The spending plan, which cleared the Senate on a 25-24 vote in the early morning hours of Friday, would raise property taxes in some districts, while lowering them for others in the state... Rea

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Legislature has passed a measure delaying a deadline for a reduction in the amount of money school districts can collect through local property tax levies. The House passed the measure addressing the so-called "levy cliff" on an 87-10 vote Thursday, just after the Senate passed the bill on a bipartisan 48-1 vote the night before...

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The House on Wednesday approved its education funding proposal, but majority Democrats haven't yet decided how to pay for the plan, which has a price tag of more than $7 billion over the next four years. The bill ultimately passed on a 50-47 party line vote after lawmakers had to redo the vote because two Republicans initially accidentally vote in favor...

OLYMPIA (AP) — The Washington Legislature has convened its 105-day legislative session. The House and Senate both gaveled into session at noon Monday. Few Capitol watchers expect they'll finish their work without the need of overtime sessions as they wrestle with the final piece of a court mandate on education funding...

OLYMPIA (AP) — The state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council has adopted a new budget outlook that includes an estimate that the state will spend more than $5 billion through 2021 to comply with a court order on education funding. The outlook was adopted over the objections of Republican lawmakers on the council, who argued that a task force is still working to determine the actual amount that n