Bills belonging to Southwest Washington lawmakers perished when Gov. Jay Inslee made good on a threat to veto measures if legislators failed to strike a budget deal.
Late Thursday night, Inslee vetoed 27 bills and called lawmakers back into a special session.
The Democratic governor didn’t spare measures sponsored by members of his own party.
“I understand the governor’s frustration,” said Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, who had two bills struck down with the veto pen.
She said the GOP-controlled Senate spent too much time discussing issues that weren’t priorities instead of working toward a negotiated budget.
“We fired the Transportation secretary (Lynn Peterson), we debated a two-thirds rule for tax increases that our Supreme Court has ruled unconstitutional, we discussed transgender bathroom use for hours and hours on the floor,” Cleveland said. “I’m not saying those issues aren’t worth discussing, but it shouldn’t have been our priority when we have bigger budget priorities to address.”
One of Cleveland’s measures would have created a task force to explore out-of-pocket costs associated with prescription drugs.
“Drug costs have gotten out of control,” she said.
“It’s making it really difficult for my constituents who have to choose between paying for a prescription or paying rent,” Cleveland said.
Her other measure would have standardized the process for county treasurers receiving payments, and would have allowed the Clark County treasurer to accept electronic payments.
Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, said she’s confident lawmakers will be able to override the vetoes with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. Rivers had two bills vetoed, both dealing with the cannabis industry. One was a priority measure for her and would have allowed the Liquor and Cannabis Board to issue research licenses. The other would have allowed cannabis producers to offer promotional items to retailers.
“It was, of course, disappointing to see the governor use this ploy, but we will get through it,” Rivers said in a text message.
She added she’s sensing an “overwhelming frustration and disappointment on both sides of the aisle.”
On Friday, Senate Republicans unveiled a budget proposal that Democrats said moved closer to their position. Republicans increased the spending amount from their original two-year spending proposal. The latest would add about $178 million to the state’s budget and dips into the state’s emergency fund to pay for wildfire costs.
Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Sharon Nelson released a statement saying she’s pleased the Republicans have budged from their initial proposal.
“There are still several disappointments in this budget. We must keep our promises to child care providers, and to the most vulnerable Washingtonians. We must do more for education and more to help our state’s homeless,” she said in a statement.
Some bills did pass into law with the governor’s signature, including one chief sponsored by Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, addressing the expiration date of the mortgage lending fraud prosecution account. Benton also had a measure vetoed, which would have allowed public funds to be deposited out-of-state in certain instances.
