Washington lawmakers have reached agreement on a budget just in time to avert a government shutdown. The deal was announced Wednesday morning, but details have yet to be released.
This deal came together with just three days to go until the end of the fiscal year. It followed an all-night marathon negotiating session between Senate Republicans and House Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler said he believes the budget will solve the state’s school funding crisis.
“No longer will a student in Washington be funded on their zip code,” he said.
House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan also predicted the school funding portion of the budget will pass constitutional muster.
“It will get my vote, I can tell you that,” Sullivan said. “And I wouldn’t be voting for it if I didn’t believe it satisfied the McCleary case.”
McCleary is the name of Washington Supreme Court case that says the state is not amply funding public schools.
Gov. Jay Inslee must sign the budget by midnight Friday to prevent a government shutdown.
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