In what is now week 4 of the special legislative session, House Democrats released a new operating and capital budget Wednesday morning, April 4. House Majority Leader Representative Pat Sullivan stressed that the operating budget proposal does not represent an agreement between the House and Senate, but it does include elements and changes that were requested specifically by Senate Republicans.

“If we are to have any chance at all of getting a budget finished on time, we have to get something moving,” he said. “We will continue to meet, continue to talk, and continue to negotiate, but we also have to get a budget in motion.”

What the budget means to Evergreen

Like several of the previous budgets released this year, this new budget does not cut higher education or financial aid.

This afternoon the House Ways & Means committee will meet to hold a public hearing on several bills considered “necessary to implement the budget” (NTIB). The budget bill was pulled to the House floor yesterday and now it is a waiting game on whether they will bring it up for a vote. If the budget does pass in the House it will move to the Senate for the same process.

Special session is due to end Tuesday, April 10. With Easter this Sunday, there are very few days to get a budget proposed and passed, but it is still possible.