Washington State lawmakers adjourned their third overtime session July 19 without passing a new construction budget, the Associated Press reported.
Initially, legislative leaders stated that they planned to adjourn earlier in the day after negotiations broke down earlier in the week over a water rights bill, tied to the passage of the two-year capital budget that would have spent more than $4 billion on projects statewide, according to the Associated Press.
Although negotiations continued throughout the day, House Democrats, and then the other caucuses started to leave in the evening as they realized a stalemate. Only a few lawmakers stayed to officially gavel out at the end of the night.
Democratic House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan said, “It was clear that [an agreement] wasn't going to happen today,” and added that negotiators would keep working on the issue, despite the fact that they were no longer in session, the Associated Press reported.
Losing Money
When the Supreme Court ruled last October that Whatcom County failed to protect its water resources when it allowed new wells to reduce the flow of streams, it started a chain reaction that led to counties putting a temporary stop to rural development and changing the criteria for individuals to obtain building permits.
As a result, property owners expressed their frustration to lawmakers that they had spent thousands to prepare building lots before learning that they couldn't get a permit, according to the Associated Press.
