As lawmakers head toward a third overtime legislative session, they received updated revenue numbers that give them a little bit of help as they struggle to reach agreement on a two-year state budget.
The Legislature slid out of its second special session and into a third Wednesday without any visible sign of a deal on the operating budget.
"If the Legislature does not approve budgets by June 30, several state agencies will go through full or partial operations shutdowns", the notification stated.
Inslee said he would veto any attempt to pass a 30-day budget to avoid a shutdown, a suggestion some lawmakers have discussed.
Without a new budget, parts of the state government would shut down on July 1.
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The German then produced a storming drive to finish fourth, overtaking the Force India of Sergio Perez on the penultimate lap. Hamilton warned, however, that there was still much to do and it would take time.
Inslee said he would not accept a temporary budget if lawmakers don't complete their work.
The state has been in contempt of court since 2014 for lack of progress on satisfying a 2012 state Supreme Court ruling that found that school funding was not adequate. School districts now pay a big chunk of those salaries with local property-tax levies.
House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan, D-Covington, said negotiators were getting closer on the amount of money to be spent on education improvements, which would be key to deciding whether new taxes are needed, and if so, how much and which ones. Even though shutdown was ultimately avoided both of those years, state agencies are having to go through the motions of preparation once again, and on Thursday, temporary layoff notices went out to almost 32,000 state employees. A partial shutdown would affect everything from community supervision of offenders on probation, to meal services to the elderly to reservations made at state parks. Joe Fain, the Senate Republican floor leader.
"I'm hoping we can get everything done by Friday", Sullivan said.
"We are willing to come to the middle", Sullivan said as the House prepared to open the third special session.
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