State House Dealing with Budgets and Sex Education Bill

The Washington State House of Representatives is expected to pass their supplemental operating budget Friday.

12th District Rep. Keith Goehner says he will vote against it because it doesn't save enough.

"When you have emergency situations like we're experiencing right now with the coronavirus, it's hard to say what you might have to spend that you did not plan for because every penny is budgeted. There's no flex at all in that budget.

Both Goehner and Rep. Mike Steele says this budget is a far cry from the capital and transportation budgets which were negotiated in a bipartisan fashion.

A House Education Committee also passed a Senate bill that would require comprehensive sex education as early as Kindergarten.

Steele says there was unprecedented debate on the topic in a committee that normally works in a very bipartisan way.

"Several of the amendments we offered, we said, 'Let's make sure we maintain local control. Let's give this to the school districts and say they may use these standards and if they choose not to, then they have to create curriculum that comes close."

That bill passed out of committee on a party line vote and will move to the floor where Steele says it could be a vigorous debate.

You can hear the entire conversation with Reps. Goehner and Steele below: