03/29/07 Senate Demos unveil their budget

Washington Ag March 29, 2007 State Senate Democrats unveiled their operating and capital budget proposals for Washington's next biennium yesterday. The operating budget calls for spending 33.3 billion dollars over the next two years, about 100 million less than the House passed budget. At a news conference Senate Ways and Means Committee member Karen Fraser talked about funding for water issues in eastern Washington. Fraser: "We are continuing progress on funding an increment of the 200 million dollar Columbia River Basin Initiative begun last session. We have 2 million dollars for some major groundwater studies in the Columbia Basin. I have a Yakima Basin Storage Project for 3.3 million. Sunnyside Valley Water Conservation Project for 2.5 million and a variety of other water projects for storage feasibility studies, irrigation efficiencies, water transfers, conservation and related matters." Fraser said Puget Sound Restoration and salmon recovery is a major priority of the entire session. Fraser: "And we are supporting that with about 238 million dollars for various kinds of projects to do that." That's 20 million more than the governor proposed. I'm Bob Hoff.