WA budget makes deep cuts across state agencies

Highlights of some of the cuts made in the state budget proposal that passed the Legislature Saturday night.

-HIGHER EDUCATION: Democrats cut $503 million from in higher education. Those cuts mean college enrollment will be reduced by more than 9,000 slots. Lawmakers also authorize a higher tuition increase cap - 14 percent - for public four-year institutions. Community and technical colleges are authorized to raise tuition by as much as 7 percent each year. Cost-of-living raises for faculty and staff also are suspended.

-K-12 EDUCATION: Lawmakers suspended more than half of the money from the voter-approved initiative to ensure smaller class sizes and suspending the entirety of another initiative for cost-of-living raises for teachers. Public school teachers will lose one of two extra training days. Maintained is more than $12 billion for basic education services, like special education and transportation. Local school districts will be allowed to collect more money from local property tax levies.

-STATE WORKERS: State workers will see their health costs increase. In the governor's December budget proposal, it was assumed that state worker health care funding would increase with inflation, about 7 percent. The budget approved by lawmakers only pays a 3 percent increase. Cuts across state agencies mean that thousands of state workers could lose their jobs, have reduced work schedules or have furloughs.

-PUBLIC SAFETY: Unlike in the original House and Senate proposals, no specific institutions, like McNeil Island Corrections Center, are closed. Instead, a closure committee will be formed later this year to evaluate which corrections institutions should be closed. Lawmakers also eliminate the requirement to supervise misdemeanor criminals and low-risk felony offenders once they are released from prison, offering home detention instead of jail or prison as an alternative punishment for community custody violators. Also, offenders with serious, debilitating illnesses can be released early to save the state money.

-HUMAN SERVICES: There are reductions to the Adult Day Health program, which serves about 1,900 adults with developmental disabilities, and elderly people. Also, the Yakima Valley School, which provides 24-hour care for 100 people with moderate to severe disabilities, is preserved. Money for training for health care workers, as directed under a recent initiative approved by voters, is reduced and several components of the initiative are delayed. A social service program called General Assistance, which gives cash grants and health care to disabled people, is scaled back by about $60 million. Lawmakers avoided deeper cuts, proposed in Gov. Chris Gregoire's budget plan, and said they plan to more closely manage people enrolled in the welfare program.

-HEALTH CARE: Lawmakers made a 43 percent reduction in the state Basic Health Plan, which offers health care to people who are under 200 percent of the federal poverty level. That level of cut means about 40,000 people could be kicked off, saving the state more than $250 million. The budget also keeps medical coverage for those in the General Assistance-Unemployable program, but will reduce the benefits. Beginning in July 2009, state coverage will be eliminated for three vaccines, HPV, rotavirus and meningococcal. Starting in July 2010, the state would no longer cover any vaccines for children not covered by Medicaid.

-STATE PARKS: No state parks are closed if enough money is raised with the help of a $5 "opt out" fee to annual vehicle registrations.