Legislative Session Update
The Third Special Session of the 2015 Legislature began Sunday, June 28 after a tentative deal on the Operating Budget was reached early morning Saturday, June 27. Both the House and Senate passed the Operating Budget on Monday, June 29, and the Governor signed it into law shortly thereafter, thus avoiding a partial government shutdown. But while the Operating Budget has been passed, as well as the Capital Budget and new gas tax increase for the Transportation Revenue Package, there is still work to be done, as disagreements linger regarding the potential suspension of I-1351 regarding reductions in class sizes for grades 4-12, as well as on the bonding components of the Capital and Transportation budgets. It is expected that legislators will return to Olympia sometime after the Fourth of July holiday in hopes of completing their work sooner than later.