Braun Bashes Diversion of Revenues From State’s Rainy Day Fund

Calling it a “felony budget gimmick,” Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, took aim Tuesday at an amendment that would divert nearly $1 billion in property tax revenues into the education legacy trust account.

By redirecting the $935 million before it reaches the general fund, the Democratic proposal would prevent it from becoming subject to savings requirements — which would have placed $700 million of it into the state’s rainy day fund.

“Voters said decisively many years ago that they wanted a higher threshold for using these extraordinary revenues after seeing the significant problems and dramatic cuts that came as a result of overspending ahead of the Great Recession,” Braun said in a statement.

Proponents argue that the state’s surplus $2.3 billion — revenue beyond what was predicted when legislators wrote their two-year budget in 2017 — is a resource that should be used to increase educators’ salaries, which would make Washington compliant with a state Supreme Court mandate.