3.11.16

Suggested lead:   Frustrating things happen in divided Legislatures, and the special session that began Thursday night in Olympia seems to be one of them.  Dan Frizzell has that story.

Wrap (:90 total):  It's looking like the Washington Legislature might have adjourned on time if Senate Republicans hadn't abandoned the negotiation process that seemed to be drawing them closer to a budget agreement with the Democrats who control the House.  That's the word from Democratic negotiators who were greeted with what one referred to as "radio silence" after offering Republicans a compromise plan on Tuesday and expecting a counter-offer that might have been the final budget.  Instead, Senate budget writers left the table and let the final three days of the regular session tick away without further talks.  House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan gave reporters a rare look at the budget process Friday afternoon, and lamented the breakdown that, he says, made the special session inevitable.

SULLIVAN:  "That's why we're here in special session.  We're really disappointed the Senate Rs have chosen to take this pathway.  It's time we ended this type of game-playing and not relying on this D.C. style of politics that really doesn't belong here in Washington state.  We're eager to get back to the negotiations.  We want to finish our work so that we can go home to our districts and talk about the positive things that we've done." [:22]. 

Sullivan said he and his fellow House negotiators will remain at the Capitol over the weekend, prepared to renew the negotiations if Senate leaders agree to resume serious talks.  When that happens, he said, lawmakers could quickly reach a compromise on a bipartisan spending plan that beefs up Washington schools, strengthens the mental-health system, and covers the expenses generated by last year's catastrophic wildfires.  In Olympia, I’m Dan Frizzell.