Oregon Public Broadcasting

Democrats in the Washington State Senate have unveiled a budget for the next two years that makes deep cuts in education, healthcare and social services.

Under the proposal, more than 7000 state and school employees would lose their jobs. Washington’s McNeil Island prison would be closed. And 10,000 fewer students would be able to enroll in the state’s colleges and universities.

Senator Rodney Tom, a chief budget writer, compared the Senate’s cuts to those the Governor proposed back in December.

Rodney Tom: “We made about $3.85 billion in actual program cuts, now you have to put that in relationship to what the Governor did in her cuts, she did about $2.35 billion - so you’re the Governor plus about sixty some percent.”

The Washington Senate budget also cuts nearly a billion dollars from K-12 education. Most of that savings comes from not funding teacher pay raises and a voter-approved class-size-reduction initiative.

The rest of the $9 billion budget hole is filled with federal stimulus dollars, one time savings, closing tax loopholes and government reforms. The Washington House will unveil its budget proposal Tuesday.