Sponsors: By Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senator Rossi; by request of Governor Locke).

Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill

(As Amended by House)

• Making biennial operating appropriations.

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 14 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Fromhold, Vice Chair; Cody, Conway, Dunshee, Grant, Hunter, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, McIntire, Miloscia, Ruderman and Schual-Berke.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 13 members: Representatives Sehlin, Ranking Minority Member; Pearson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Boldt, Buck, Clements, Cox, DeBolt, Linville, McDonald, Pflug, Sump and Talcott.

The state government operates on the basis of a fiscal biennium that begins on July 1 of each odd-numbered year. Appropriations are made in the biennial budget for the operation of state government and its various agencies and institutions.

Total general-fund appropriations for the 2003-05 biennium are $23.3 billion. To solve the budget shortfall, the 2003-05 Biennial Operating Budget proposes a combination of program savings and reductions, revenue and expenditure transfers, and revenue generation.

For additional information, see the Statewide Summary & Agency Detail published by the House Appropriations Committee.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testified: (In support) George Durrie, Eastern Washington University; Larry Ganders, Washington State University; Pamela Crone; Dick Thompson, University of Washington; Anne Anderson, Central Washington University; Bob Edie, Western Washington University; Gail Stygall and Jeff Newcomer, Council of Faculty Representatives, University of Washington; Edie Harding, The Evergreen State College; Ed Little, James Rinta, Doug Spencer, and Marianne Thompson, Vancouver School District; Lisa MacFarlane, League of Education Voters; Connie Fletcher, Issaquah School Board; Lynn Meier, Washington Public Employees Association; Delight Roberts, Children's Alliance; Terri Bergeson, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Dale Kinsley, Bellingham Schools; Charles Hasse, Washington Education Association; Brook Lather, Ben Medina and James McMahon, Washington Student Lobby; Gail Stone, Washington State Bar Association; Carol Molnes, Parent Trust; Don Shoemaker, Washington State Senior Citizens Lobby; Steve Linstrom, Northwest Energy Coalition; Seth Dawson, Compass Health; Matt Armstrong, Mount Vernon School District; and Mary Alice Grobbins, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

(Concerns) Rick Bender, Washington State Labor Council; Laurie Lippold, Children's Home Society; Sherry Appleton, Coalition for a Jewish Voice; Carolyn Logue, National Federation of Independent Businesses; David Rolf, Ellie Menzies, and Marcy Johnson, Service Employees International Union; Gary Chandler, Association of Washington Businesses; Steve Burns, Washington Wine Institute; Dawn Vyvyan, Northwest Indian Fisheries Association and Yakima Nations; Stan Bowman, Washington Restaurant Association; Gary Smith, Independent Business Association; Debbie Wilke, Washington Association of County Officials; Bill Vogler, Washington Association of Counties; Jim Justin, Association of Washington Cities; Suzie Tracy, Washington State Medical Association, and American Medical Response and Ambulance Company; Bob Cooper, Food Lifeline; Sandra Schroeder, Washington Federation of Teachers; Ruth Windhover, Washington Education Association; and Laurie St. Hours, Northwest Assisted Living Facilities; Lonnie Johns-Brown, Washington Association for the Education of Young Children; Julie Watts, Washington Association of Churches; Bill Monto, Washington Citizens Action; Linda Hull, Providence Health Services; Mark Gaspard, Higher Education Coordinating Board; Len McComb, Washington State Hospital Association; and Bruce Wishart, People for Puget Sound.

(Opposed) Dennis Eagle, Washington Federation of State Employees; Patricia Weber; Bill Orton, Fircrest parent; Paul Strand, Action for RHCs; Amy Murphey, Washington Federation of State Employees; Susan Barrett; Bill Anderson, Francis Hadden Morgan Center; Cabel Orton, Fircrest resident; Brendan Williams, Washington Healthcare Association; Carey Morris, Lifelong AIDS Alliance; and Randy Hartman, ADDUS Health Care.

(Other) Bill Garvin, Washington Forest Protection Association; Dave Knutson; Remy Turpin, Jewish Federation and United Way of King County; Nick Federici, American Lung Association and Washington Association of Housing and Services for the Aging; Ivy Sager-Rosenthal, Washington Public Interest Research; Eric Ericson, Caring, Dependable and Meaningful Home Care; Sharon Case, Washington Association of Community Migrant Workers; Andrea Stephens; Neil Kirby, Association of Washington School Principals; LaNita Wacker; Rainer Houser, Association of Washington School Principals; Leslie Main, Washington State School Retirees Association; Ron Newbry, Washington Manufacturing Services and Washington Economic Development Association; Jackie Der, Harborview Medical Center; Dan Erker, Washington Association of Juvenile Court Administrators; Mary Rassnacht; and Anita Bowen, Association of Retired Citizens.