The Regular Session of Washington State’s 2010 Legislative Session adjourned on March 11th without passing a budget.  On March 15th, the Governor called a special session limited by law to 30 days.   On the 30th day, the Legislature passed a bill to raise taxes.  The increased revenue raised by the taxes was necessary to balance the budget.

The tumultuous legislative session was impacted by the requirement to balance the State budget, despite a looming $2.8 billion deficit.  Regardless of the fact that the Democrats control the House and Senate by strong majorities, tensions were high caused by the debate between those wanting to preserve education and social services by raising taxes, and those fearing that raising taxes would slow an economic recovery and result in jobs being lost.

The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) worked diligently to ensure that cuts to services for the needy were avoided or lessened. 

At the end of the session, priority programs were preserved, like the Basic Health Plan (BHP), General Assistance Unemployable (GAU), renamed Disability Lifeline, Housing, and many social services even though funding was reduced. 

WSCC issued its final 2010 legislative report, recapping its priorities:  Budgets, Catholic Schools, Children & Families, Criminal Justice, Economic Justice, Environment, Health Care, Housing, Life Issues and Long-Term Care.