H-815                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 593

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Barnes, Allen, Ballard, S. Wilson, Sanders, Betrozoff, Bumgarner, Ferguson, D. Sommers, Hankins, Brooks, Moyer, Taylor, Beck, Schoon, Patrick, May, Padden, Nealey, Walker, Lewis, Brough, McLean, Prince, Fuhrman, B. Williams, J. Williams, Chandler, Schmidt, Doty, Amondson, Jesernig and Miller

Read first time 2/4/87 and referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

AN ACT Relating to making education a budget priority; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The Washington state legislature recognizes that providing education is the paramount duty of our state government.  The common schools and our institutions of higher education must receive the first budget dollars available.  It is the purpose of this act to dedicate sufficient revenues from 1987-89 state general fund dollars so as to fund education in Washington state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     Six billion six hundred million dollars of general fund revenues during the 1987-1989 fiscal biennium shall be set aside exclusively for the common schools and the institutions of higher education of the state.  Any moneys of this amount not so expended shall revert to the general fund and shall not be available for any other purposes until all authorized education programs are fully funded.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.