“He will not sign a budget that does not include this policy,” wrote Ferguson spokeswoman Brionna Aho in an email.
At a Thursday press availability, House and Senate leaders sympathized with Ferguson’s stance, but were unsure where the extra money will come from.
That’s because the upcoming legislative session has to overcome a $12 billion budget shortfall over the next four years that will require program cuts and new revenue. “I love to see how he balances that $100 million in the budget he proposes,” recently retired Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, told Cascade PBS. Padden is a longtime GOP leader on crime and justice matters.
Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond
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