WA lawmakers button down hard-times session
Washington lawmakers are heading back to their home districts after completing a brutal recession-era 135-day session. Budget cutbacks, including salaries of state employees and teachers and budgets of virtually every area of government, were the rule of the day as lawmakers grappled with a budget gap of billions. Cuts and freezes totaling $4.6 billion will affect K-12, higher education, “safety net” programs, and a variety of state services, from parks to prisons. The $32 billion two-year budget takes effect July…