The Washington state legislature has just put two proposed supplemental budgets on the table, one from the Democrat-controlled House, another from the Republican-controlled Senate. Each proposal is 100+ pages long, here are just a few of the more entertaining highlights:
The House version allocates $231,000 to Violent Video Games Litigation:
In 2003, the Legislature enacted the violent video game statute ... which prohibits the sale or rental of video or computer games to minors where the player causes physical harm to a human form depicted as a law enforcement officer. The Video Software Dealers Association filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Count challenging the statute as unconstitutional.Uh, maybe because it really is unconstitutional.
The House wants to spend $330,000 on an Asparagus Technology Study
for research and development activities related to asparagus harvesting and automation technology.Sadly, no new money to find a cure for asparagus pee (see below)
The House also wants to give away capital equipment to agribusiness, spending $3,000,000 on
the purchase of agricultural products packing equipment. The department shall negotiate an appropriate agreement with the agricultural industry for the use of the equipment.And I'd like a free flat-panel display for my office. Who do I call?
The most offensive item in the House budget is an additional $358,000 to Evergreen State "College" (on top of the $90 million already budgeted to Evergreen)
to expand state-supported general enrollment slots by 58 full-time equivalent (FTE) students in FY 2005. New budgeted enrollment for resident undergraduate students is supported by the state at an average rate of $5,437 per FTE.Does it really cost that much money to train teenagers to cut classes to rally in support of the Taliban and to smash their own cars in moving traffic? But at least the Democrats are sticking to their promise to fund higher education.
But no money for charter schools
The Senate budget allocates $466,000 for charter schools contingent on charter school legislation passing both houses this session. The House budget does not include any contingent allocation for charter schools. When House Speaker Frank Chopp says he "supports" charter schools, I guess this is the amount of support he has in mind.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 24, 2004 10:21 AM