Gov. Inslee signed the supplemental transportation budget yesterday, but he vetoed several sections.

As passed by the Legislature, the budget appropriated $10.373 billion. (That’s an increase of $538.0 million over original 2019–21 appropriations.) Transportation budget writers were working under constraints imposed by the passage of I-976 last year. The Seattle Times reported,

The $10.4 billion budget relies largely on money in existing budgets but not yet spent, “a little bit of budget magic,” said Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee.

Legislators warned those tricks won’t last forever. “Next year we’re going to have some serious problems,” Hobbs said.

Further,

Lawmakers said they believe the budget will allow for resumption of projects put on hold by Inslee in the wake of I-976. Those projects include an additional lane planned for northbound Interstate 5 between Seneca Street and Olive Way and a portion of the North Spokane Corridor.

“Particularly with what we’re seeing now, it’s going to be important that those jobs be there,” said Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, apparently referring to the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus and the economic fallout.

The budget includes language in several sections that appropriations are reduced based on expected spending underruns but that projects should not be eliminated or substantially delayed. For example, Sec. 305(35) states, “It is the intent of the legislature that no capital projects be eliminated or substantially delayed as a result of revenue reductions, but that as a short-term solution appropriation authority for this program is reduced to reflect anticipated underruns in this program, based on historical reappropriation levels.”

Similarly, Sec. 220(16) states,

As a short-term solution, appropriation authority for the public transportation program in this section is reduced to reflect anticipated underruns in this program, based on historical reappropriation levels. It is the intent of the legislature that no public transportation grants or projects be eliminated or substantially delayed as a result of revenue reductions.

Gov. Inslee vetoed this language throughout the budget, but not the underlying revenue reductions. His veto message notes, “In light of the economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be necessary to delay or eliminate projects.”