Less spending and fewer new taxes in Senate Democrats' budget

OLYMPIA — Conversations on a new state budget picked up steam Friday as majority Democrats in the Senate rolled out a plan that would spend and tax less than their House counterparts in the next two years.

Senate Democrats put forth a $52.2 billion spending blueprint to bolster behavioral health services, transform the mental health system, boost special education funding and provide pay hikes for state workers.

It counts on $518 million of added revenue, most of it from a new way of taxing property sales and ending the ability of nonresidents to avoid paying sales tax on their purchases.

Overall, Senate Democrats propose to spend $400 million less than their House counterparts.

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