In Washington State, no news is a couple of clicks shy of good news. The Legislature continues its second special session without a deal on the operating budget. The state drives off the proverbial cliff on July 1st, which – absent a budget deal – puts state government into shutdown mode. Contingency planning for this shutdown is in full swing as the state sorts through how it suspends its current contractual obligations and determines what is, and isn’t, essential services and personnel. The betting money is still on a resolution on the budget between now and then, but there is historical precedent for a shutdown.
In Oregon, there isn’t concern about a Washington style shutdown. Lawmakers continue their “long session” but don’t have an extensive set of energy items in front of them this year. HB 3246, a property tax exemption bill, did pass the House earlier this month on a party line vote.