Oregon Public Broadcasting

It's one-party Democratic rule in Olympia, but that doesn't mean consensus is easy.

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire is not ruling out a special session of the legislature.

In a news conference Tuesday, she acknowledged an extra inning might be necessary to forge an agreement on a final budget and tax plan. Austin Jenkins reports.

Now that the Washington House and Senate have both passed their own taxing and spending plans, the task of reconciling their differences begins.

Gregoire sees three key hurdles between the two budgets: how to shore up the state employee benefit fund, how to reform the General Assistance Unemployable cash program and deciding which, if any, state institutions should be closed.

Regarding taxes, Gregoire remains opposed to the Senate's plan to temporarily raise the state sales tax by three-tenths of a penny.

Chris Gregoire: "I continue to have graves concerns about it. I think it's the wrong time in an economic recovery to assess a sales tax."

Gregoire says it would hit the construction sector hardest. She notes that unemployment among construction workers in some Washington counties tops fifty-percent.

Washington lawmakers are supposed to adjourn the 60-day session on Thursday, but that will be a tough deadline to meet. Gregoire says she's prepared to call a special session if necessary.

Gregoire also says she won't let lawmakers go home without a "jobs package" and a bill to make Washington more competitive for Race to the Top federal education reform dollars.