Budget Wrap-up: College Tuition Frozen, Standard Pay Raises Suspended for Teachers

Gov. Jay Inslee signed Washington's new two-year spending plan into law on Sunday, hours before a state government shutdown was set to begin. The Associated Press reports it was the latest a Washington governor has signed a budget in more than 20 years.

But the state senate adjourned without acting on a $10-billion transportation package that included a 10-cent gas tax increase and a proposed King County car-tab tax, which would have appeared on the November ballot.

Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom (D-Medina) tells The Seattle Times he will work with other lawmakers to push a deal through late this year or in early 2014 so that Metro can avoid cutting 65 bus routes when temporary funding sources expire in mid-2014.

Some key points of the $33.6-billion plan:

-$1 billion added to state education. "We really are prioritizing education over other parts of government," Sen. Andy Hill (R-Redmond) told The Associated Press. 

-$119 million in additional funding for higher education over the next two years—enough that tuition will be frozen for all in-state undergraduate students for at least a year, The Seattle Times reports. At WSU, it will mark the first time in 27 years that tuition has not increased.

-Cost of living raises for teachers suspended for the next two years. The AP reports the freeze will remain in effect through 2015 and save the state approximately $330 million.

-About $13 million worth of tax breaks were extended for beekeepers, restaurants, nonprofit gun clubs and other groups. But lawmakers also agreed to end a tax break for residential phone service in a move officials say will bring in $85 million in additional revenue over the next two years.
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What do you think of the new budget? Are you satisfied with the legislature's work this session? Tell us in the comments section.