No Budget, No Rules Work, Maybe No Booze Too
This is just a short little note to readers about the shutdowns threatened or real if the state legislature does not pass a new biennial budget by July 1st. For those who dig through the Office of Financial Management guideline for agency impact, there is some interesting information.
We suppose there is a lot to tell about state government if all sorts of programs for children will be terminated, but for some clever reason the Department of Ecology only loses a couple of esoteric programs. Fish over kids is a political reality in Washington. The Senate is in session at 1 p.m. today, Sunday. Looks like the House takes the day off. Takes two chambers to pass a budget? Must not be quite ready, huh? (The state Legislature’s website has no mention of the House being in session, but I have numerous social media posts from House members who are grousing about having to be in Oly today, Sunday. It’s that time of the session. It is what it is. A moment at a time. Budgets come like children are born: when they are ready. And you’re better off to not rush either, oh…that’s for another day.)
Plans For Liquor Control Board: LCB
For regular readers who know the importance of the Liquor Control Board for the implementation of Washington’s recreational cannabis use law you may gasp. In Washington the LCB is responsible for drafting and adopting the rules for growing, processing and selling cannabis for recreational use which originally was authorized by passage of I-502 in November of 2012. The LCB is scheduled to issue the revised implementation rules July 3rd. A series of state-wide hearings will follow…if our state government is functioning. If not, no meeting, no revised rules, no progress.
Complete Shutdown
The thirteen pages from OFM explaining the state plan for closing government without a budget includes a one liner for the LCB. “Complete Shutdown.”
http://www.ofm.wa.gov/contingency/agency_planning.pdf
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