Sponsors: 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 Committee)

• 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.

Various changes are made to Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5404. Please refer to the striking amendment and the Statewide Summary and Agency Detail for additional information.

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.