Letter From Rep. Ryu Explains Her End of Session Decisions

March 13, 2012 

Dear Friends: 

I know many citizens I serve wonder why the Legislature is starting a special session. Even in Olympia, some people ask why the Democrats in the House of Representatives didn’t simply vote to agree with the Senate Republican budget, in order to end the 2012 session on time. Some wonder: If three Democratic Senators could support and pass the Senate Republican budget, why couldn’t Democrats in the House support it? I can only speak for myself. 

It is true that three extremely conservative Democrats voted for the Senate Republican budget (and voted to reject every single attempt to amend the budget).  It is also true that if enough state representatives voted for the Senate Republican budget, the session might have ended as scheduled on March 8.  But to me, the budget issue is not about the political calendar or party politics.  I simply could not vote for the Senate Republican budget with a clear conscience as your representative: I could not vote to subject our schools and colleges to another round of deep budget cuts, and I could not support a budget that would seriously harm some of the most vulnerable people in our state.  Please let me explain. 

Public schools

The Senate Republican Budget cuts K-12 schools by another $40 million.  The House Budget I supported makes no further cuts to K-12 education. 

Public schools, students and teachers throughout our 32nd District have already made huge sacrifices because ofbudget reductions over the past three years.  Enough is enough!  The Supreme Court ruled recently in the McLearycase that our state is already failing to meet its constitutional responsibility to fund basic education.  I could not andwill not vote to cut another $40 million from schools that are hurting already.  

Higher education

I could not support the Senate Republican Budget’s attempt to cut another $38 million from higher education.  TheHouse Budget I supported makes no further cuts to higher education. Years of deep budget cuts have already harmed our colleges and resulted in skyrocketing tuitions.  We must protect college funding!  As the Seattle Times said (Jan. 15): “It would be foolish for elected officials to financially strap vital institutions that create jobs, start companies, train workers and provide upward mobility for the poor and stability for the middle class.”  Cutting another $38 million from higher education would be irresponsible. 

Help for the vulnerable

The lingering damage of the Great Recession has been hard for everyone.  But no one has suffered more than the poor, the sick, frail seniors and others with disabilities who have been hurt by severe cuts to the health and human services safety net. The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has already lost $2.2 billion and 3,000 employees over the past three years.  These dollars and workers served some of our most vulnerable neighbors.  Yes, the budget crisis will require further cuts to safety net services.  But I’m confident we can at least avoid the harshest of the cuts proposed by Senate Republicans.The non-partisan Budget & Policy Center calculated that under the Senate Republican budget:

• 15,000 people who cannot work due to a disability would lose medical care.
• 4,000 low-income working parents would lose child care support.
• 2,000 families would lose work supports, child care and income assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
• 12,000 low-income legal immigrants would lose food assistance.

The House Budget I supported did not make these reductions:   My point is …I wish the session could have ended on March 8, so that I could be home

with my family and friends in Shoreline.  However, I could not support a budget that violated my deeply held principles about education, higher education, and our duty to be compassionate toward those who cannot survive without government help. I sincerely believe that Democrats and Republicans in both the House and Senate will find a budget compromise that we can all agree to.  But if it takes a little longer to protect schools, college students, and vulnerable citizens from further harm, it is time well spent. I hope and believe my constituents will agree with my conscience on this decision. Best wishes to all. 

Sincerely,  Representative Cindy Ryu (D)for the 32nd  Legislative District

Local businesses, private market forces, and people can thrive only when we have strong public structures!   

E-Mailcindy.ryu@leg.wa.gov