It appears more likely Washington lawmakers will go into an overtime session. The regular 105-day session ends this Sunday. But the House and Senate, along with the governor, still have to agree on a two-year budget deal. Even if a deal was at hand -- and it doesn’t appear one is -- they’d be cutting it close.
The reality is just getting a budget written and then passed through two chambers takes some time and basically that window is closing. House Budget Chair Ross Hunter has said all along that if there wasn’t a deal by the Monday of the last week getting done on time starts to become very difficult.
Majority leaders in both Washington chambers have criticized each other’s budgets as unworkable. A key question is whether taxes are part of the final budget. Democrats control the Washington House while the Senate is run by a mostly Republican coalition.
A spokesman for Governor Jay Inslee says the Democrat is working under the assumption that “there’s more work” that can get done before Sunday’s deadline.