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Budget compromise sets up Legislature to finish

SEATTLE — The governor had proposed $80 million in salary increases to attract entry-level teachers, but the new budget adds just $7 million in programs and no pay raises.

So lawmakers admit many districts will face a teacher shortage again next fall.

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“The shortage will grow and so the issue is stemming that and so we make some initial progress this year,” said House Democratic Majority Leader Pat Sullivan.

"It's not something you can open the pipeline and have immediate results on," said Senate Republican Majority Leader Mark Schoesler.

Paying the bill for fighting last summer's wildfires is one of the biggest expenses in the new budget -- $190 million, that both sides agreed should be taken from the state's rainy day fund.

“I think we got a pretty good deal. We moved on youth homelessness. ... We move on it, we moved forward on education and we move forward on mental health,” said House Appropriations Chair Hans Dunshee.

Republicans also see progress.

“Of course we'd like to see less spending overall but we worked toward the middle and found a solution,” said Senate Ways and Means Committee Vice Chair John Braun

The budget passed the House overwhelmingly with 78 yes votes, but Vancouver Democrat Sharon Wylie was one of 17 "no’s."

She says too much money is going to satisfy a federal lawsuit over Western State Hospital, at the expense of mental health services in her community.

“In my community, 25 million was taken, 1.5 million was sent back,” she said.

“It's not everything you want; that's the nature of a compromise. But I think we can say we did good work,” said Dunshee.