Yesterday Rep. Alexander released an amendment to strike SHB 1086, the 2011 Supplemental bill that was approved by the House Ways and Means (W&M) committee earlier this week.  (The amendment and a summary of its effects can be accessed here.)

Like the W&M bill, the amendment includes a combination of spending reductions and fund transfers.  In total, the Alexander proposal would cut the 2011 budget shortfall by $15.7 million more than the W&M bill would (NGFS+Opportunity Pathways).  To get there, the Alexander proposal would cut $251.3 million (compared to $222.2 in W&M cuts) and would transfer $110.4 million from other funds to the General Fund-State (W&M would transfer $123.8 million). 

The Alexander proposal would not transfer funds from the Local Toxics account, the Fair Fund, Tourism Enterprise, or Tourism Development, but it would transfer funds from Transitional Housing Operating and Rent and the Home Security Fund.

As far as the reductions go, some key changes the Alexander amendment would make include:

• Eliminating Disability Lifeline, the Children's Health Program, the Medicare Part D co-pay, and the Basic Health Plan.
• Eliminating the K-4 class size reduction.
• Eliminating the highly capable program and cutting full-day kindergarten.
• Not cutting research funding to UW and WSU.
• Increasing funding for food banks and not cutting agricultural marketing assistance.
• Not adding spending on sustainable energy and weatherization pilots, and reducing climate change funding.