OLYMPIA — A bill introduced by a North Olympic Peninsula representative that drastically reduces the amount of state financial aid available to victims of violent crimes was approved during the last day of the Legislature’s regular session.
The state, through its crime victims’ compensation program, helps cover what the victims’ insurance doesn’t for medical bills, lost wages and burial costs related to injuries they received from the crime.
Senate Bill 6504, introduced by Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, reduces total compensation from $190,000 to $50,000 per victim for the next five years.
It passed the Senate unanimously Thursday. The chamber originally passed it March 5, but had to concur with an amendment approved by the House.
The bill, which will sunset in 2015, must be signed by the governor to become law.
Hargrove said the bill is needed to preserve the program. He said compensation has to be reduced to prevent the program, funded by the state’s general fund, from running out of money by April.
“We don’t have the extra money to pump into it,” said Hargrove.
Special session
The Legislature is starting a weeklong special session today to approve a budget that resolves a $2.8 billion deficit for the rest of the biennium, which ends in July 2011.
The House and Senate have each proposed their own cuts and taxes, but they could not be negotiated into a budget they could both approve by the end of the regular session last week.
The House’s budget includes $635 million in cuts, $857 million in new taxes and $465 million in fund transfers, and anticipates $641 million in federal aid.
The Senate’s budget is heavier on cuts but still includes more taxes. It proposes $838 million in cuts, $918 million in new taxes and $498 million in account transfers, and anticipates $583 million in federal aid.
For taxes, the Senate wants a three-tenths of one-cent temporary sales tax increase, while the House would rather go with extending the sales tax to bottled water, gum, candy and elective plastic surgery.
Both chambers want to close “tax loopholes” and add a $1 per-pack tax on cigarettes.
Taxes and cuts
Rep. Kevin Van De Wege said Saturday that he does not plan to vote for a budget that has a general sales tax increase.
Van De Wege represents the 24th Legislative District — which includes Clallam and Jefferson counties and a portion of Grays Harbor County — with Hargrove and House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam.
Hargrove on Friday criticized the House’s plan for expecting too much from the federal government and not cutting enough.
“The Senate budget was at least fiscally sound,” he said. “I mean, they’re assuming federal money nobody thinks is going to show up.”
Hargrove later added he wasn’t trying to cast stones.
“If everybody just agreed with me, we would be done very quickly,” he joked.
Hargrove said he is still pushing for the closure of McNeil Island prison in Pierce County and the Maple Lane juvenile detention facility in Lewis County as a way to balance the budget.
Kessler, who could not be reached for comment, was reported in the The Seattle Times recently criticizing some House Democrats for not being willing to cut enough from the budget. Kessler sits on the House Ways and Means committee, which considers all budget-related bills.
Cutting off cuts
Van De Wege acknowledged that the House’s budget has less in cuts than the Senate’s because some representatives weren’t wiling to cut any more.
“People really wanted to see this House budget be bigger,” he said.
The Legislature resolved a $9 billion deficit last year with cuts, use of reserves and federal aid.
Last week, Van De Wege’s bill to reduce the number of Growth Management Hearing boards passed before the end of the regular session.
House Bill 2935 places the Environmental Hearing’s Office and Growth Management Hearing boards under the Land Use Hearings Office and reduces the number of GMA boards from five to three.
The House passed it 91-6 on Tuesday after concurring with Senate’s amendments.
Last week, Hargrove had three other bills passed, including one in response to last year’s Lakewood police shootings.
Parole suspension
Senate Bill 6548 allows the state to suspend parole of someone convicted of a crime in another state if they are charged with a crime in Washington.
The Senate passed it 48-0 Wednesday after concurring with House’s amendments.
The state could not suspend the parole of suspected shooter, Maurice Clemmons, even though he was charged with a crime in Washington state, because he hadn’t been convicted here.
The other two bills are:
• Senate Bill 6639, to allow judges to enact an “alternative sentence” for parents who have custody of a child and are facing lengthy prison time. The Senate passed it 31-14 Tuesday after concurring with House’s amendments.
• Senate Bill 6561, to restrict access to juvenile offender records. The Senate passed it 31-14 Tuesday after concurring with House’s amendments.
One of Hargrove’s bills, which would have added a $2 per-year fee on car insurance plans to fund a car-theft prevention program, failed last week.
The Senate defeated Senate Bill 6871 20-26 on March 8.
_________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.