Oregon Public Broadcasting

Democratic leaders in the Washington legislature now say a special session will be necessary to finish work on a budget and tax plan.

That word comes Wednesday, one day before lawmakers are supposed to adjourn the 60-day regular session. Austin Jenkins reports.

Depending on your point of view the need for a special session is either a black eye for majority Democrats or a sign they take their work seriously. But bottom line, they're headed into overtime.

The hold-up is the House and Senate are in the throes of a difficult and delicate negotiation to arrive at a budget and tax plan that will win 50 votes in the House and 25 in the Senate.

Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Ed Murray notes lawmakers are struggling to rebalance a historic $2.7 billion shortfall in the year-and-a-half left in the current budget cycle.

Ed Murray: "I think the citizens of this state want us to get it right. I don't think they want us to come back in May or June or September. I think they want us to stay here and get it done and get it right."

Murray thinks it will take an extra week of work to finish the budget and tax plans. The question will be whether the governor sends lawmakers home for a cooling-off period or keeps them at the Capitol.