In our view: Now They Hurry

Last spring, Washington legislators met in special session for the maximum 30 days before they could finally agree on solutions to a projected $2.8 billion deficit. Now, it looks like they’ll get about one-tenth as long to cut more than $1 billion more from the current fiscal year.

Washingtonians are about to learn if their lawmakers are more skilled in the winter than they were in the spring at making bold fiscal decisions. Grant the politicians no sympathy, though. A lot of families in this state have made difficult decisions during one session at the dinner table. Proportionally speaking, most of those family decisions are tougher than what legislators will face.

As of Tuesday afternoon, no decision had been made on a special session, but Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday gave legislative leaders until Thursday to decide, or she’ll decide for them. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, wants to begin a special session Friday and work through the weekend, because lawmakers will already be in town for committee meetings. “It makes more sense than going home and coming back at some point,” she said.

Some folks might find such urgency refreshing, but the truth is, dawdling and not dispatch has reigned over this deficit problem for many months, and leaders of majority Democrats are to blame. Almost four months ago, state Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, called for a special session, the sooner the better, he said, to maximize time to thrash through painful budget cuts. Yet from Brown, House Speaker Frank Chopp and other Democrats: cricket chirps.

Then on Nov. 18, Gregoire said, “The Legislature will need to act quickly. Delay will only deepen the problem and limit the options.” Her fellow Democrats responded with two weeks of yawns and finger drumming on tabletops.

Now, when their public-budgeting duties dovetail with their personal schedules, haste seems to rule the day. Gregoire noted on Monday: “I just want to know from them what day they want to come in.” Why, though, is their advice important? Gregoire has the authority to order them back into special session, and that’s what she should have done. The governor flexed her authority when she ordered across-the-board pay cuts, so why didn’t she wield the same power in calling a special session?

Legislators now will be expected to find almost a billion dollars in cuts, and impose them during a session that probably will last three days. Gregoire wants lawmakers to find about $650 million in cuts. Brown said on Monday they likely will look for $400 million to $500 million in cuts.

Every legislator has his or her own recommendations. Herding the cats into some kind of caucus consensus will be difficult. Reaching an overall agreement will be even more difficult. More than one legislator probably will mutter, “Gee, why didn’t we do this earlier, and give ourselves more time?”

Two things are certain: They probably won’t look very hard for new revenue. A triple dose of revenue rejection from voters back on Nov. 2 pretty much rules out any tax increases or other magic money pots.

Second, the legislators won’t do any more than they have to. Dire exigency will keep them focused only on financial fires in their laps, keeping in mind the current fiscal year that expires at the end of June. No time for long-term, lasting, visionary solutions. Meaningful reform can be put off until later … Jan. 10 to be precise … when the Legislature convenes for 2011 … and confronts a $4.6 billion deficit for the next biennium.