2.1.16

Suggested lead:   In Olympia, progress on school funding has hit a snag, as the Senate does an about-face on a bipartisan agreement. Dan Frizzell has that story.

Wrap (:80 total):  With the state House and Senate controlled by different parties, it’s a given that no bill will become law this year unless it’s got supporters on both sides of the aisle.  That’s why Governor Inslee formed a bipartisan work group to solve the so-called McCleary problem – shorthand for the fact that the state has fallen short of its constitutional duty to fully fund public education.  The group met several times and agreed on a bipartisan plan of action . . . until a Republican leader in the Senate pulled the rug out from under everyone, including his own party’s negotiators.  Representative Pat Sullivan, the House Majority Leader and a member of the work group, is frustrated.

SULLIVAN:  "The bill was the result of compromise on everyone's part.  Two members from each caucus were there to really represent their caucus to try to get this agreement together.  We had an agreement that we put a lot of work and effort into that's now being thrown away." [:12]. 

Sullivan, a veteran Democrat and former mayor of Covington who first ran for the Legislature on a platform of improving Washington’s K-12 schools, is mystified by the Republican decision to undercut its own negotiators. 

SULLIVAN:  "This very simple language that says that we are committing to getting our work done by the end of next session.  I just don't understand how that's a problem." [:08]. 

Monday begins week four of the Legislature’s eight-week 2016 session . . . which means time is running out.  In Olympia, I’m Dan Frizzell.