Special session to begin Tuesday

Gov. Chris Gregoire today called for a special legislative session to begin Tuesday. You can read about it here.

The Legislature was expected to adjourn its 105-day regular session this afternoon, two days early ahead of the Easter holiday.

The news is anything but surprising. Faced with a budget shortfall of historic proportions and on the heels of deep cuts made over the past 18 months, lawmakers have strained to carve out more savings. The Senate approved its version of the operating budget just this week, leaving precious little time to reach agreement with the House.

Lawmakers also must reach accord on a capital budget during the special session. And there remain dozens of bills deemed necessary to implement the budget that also remain in play. Among them are two proposals, Senate Bill 5915 and House Bill 1795, that would grant universities temporary tuition setting authority.