OLYMPIA — Overall, state Sen. Jim Hargrove is pleased with the supplemental budget approved in the special session that adjourned Tuesday.
But the state senator from Hoquiam, who announced in March that he will not run for re-election this year, said he won’t regret being absent from deliberations on state funding of public education during the next session.
The state Supreme Court has held the Legislature in contempt with an ongoing $100,000-a-day sanction for failing to come up with new funding plan for the state’s public schools.
As a senator who has been in the thick of budget discussions, Hargrove said the goal has been to reduce the part of public school education that has to be borne by local tax levies.
The problem, he said, is that “there just isn’t room in the existing budget” to provide more money for schools without a tax hike.
Sending more money to local schools without a tax hike would mean closing prisons or privatizing universities, he said.
“If I’m concerned about anything,” he said, “it’s that they don’t rip apart the safety net” to satisfy the requirements of the Supreme Court McCleary decision on funding of public schools.
“I’m always concerned that there would be unwise reductions in other areas, financially and safety-wise,” he added.
Hargrove, along with fellow Democrats Rep. Steve Tharinger and Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, both of Sequim, represents the 24th Legislative District, which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
Hargrove said the supplemental budget — passed 20 days into an overtime special session — “turned out pretty well.”
He pointed to the additional $40 million in new resources in play for mental health, much of it designated for Western State Hospital, the larger of the state’s two psychiatric facilities.
The budget includes funds for 51 more nurses, a safety compliance officer and raises to help attract and retain doctors.
“I think we addressed that pretty well,” Hargrove said.
The final negotiated measure passed the Senate on a 27-17 vote after the House approved the plan on a 78-17 vote.
The supplemental budget increases spending by $191 million above the state’s two-year plan.
If the state senator has left anything undone, it’s that a justice reinvestment initiative has not moved forward.
The initiative would provide more funding for treatment and supervision of former convicts.
Without such help, Hargrove said, ex-convicts too often have trouble leaving crime behind them.
At the local level, municipalities and counties see too much property crime as a result, he said.
“Hopefully, they’ll pick that up next year,” said Hargrove, who added that it would reduce the impact of property crime on victims and save local dollars.
Beyond this year’s supplemental budget, Hargrove stressed that working in the Senate means compromise and that means that representatives and senators don’t always get what they want.
He said he won’t be going away and has plans to check in with his District 24 colleagues from time to time.
Van De Wege, who has announced he will seek Hargrove’s seat in this year’s elections, said he was pleased with the 2016 session.
He pointed to the passage of HB 2545, which he sponsored, which bans certain flame-retardant chemicals from use in some consumer products.
The measure would reduce health threats to children and firefighters, said Van De Wege, a lieutenant with Clallam County Fire District No. 3.
He was also pleased with the passage of HB 1763, which will govern how music licensing companies are permitted to interact with local business owners.
The state representative sponsored the bill after the Oasis restaurant in Sequim and the Dam Bar in Port Angeles were hit with music licensing fees, which are otherwise governed by federal law.
Passage of a third measure, HB 2380, will allow a “nice couple from Port Townsend” to operate an electric bus service, Van De Wege said.
The couple had wanted to start the service but were prohibited by law from running it on state highways.
In Port Townsend, state Highway 20 runs through the heart of the town to the Port Townsend-Coupeville ferry terminal; not being able to take passengers to the terminal would have significantly restricted the service’s ability to operate, Van De Wege said.
Van De Wege was disappointed that the supplemental budget did not include a raise for first-year teachers.
He and other Democrats has pushed unsuccessfully to include a base pay raise from $35,700 to $40,000 in the budget.
He said that data shows that if the state can keep teachers in their profession beyond about three years, “they will stay around.”
The measure would have bumped up the base pay rate to encourage new teachers to stay, he said “but Republicans weren’t happy” and it had to be cut.
Clallam County commissioner Mike Chapman has announced his intention to seek Van De Wege’s seat, as has Tammy Ramsay, 48, of Hoquiam. Both plan to run as Democrats.
Rep. Steve Tharinger could not be reached for comment on the special session.
Van De Wege said he was proud of his colleague for “helping out our district” and getting capital needs addressed.
“He did a great job for our district,” said Van De Wege, “and got some needed stuff done.”
________
Assistant Managing Editor Mark Swanson can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55450, or mswanson@peninsuladailynews.com.