Senate Democratic Leader Sharon Nelson issued the statement below following the conclusion of the 2017 legislative session:
“Almost without exception, the 2017 legislative session was a victory for Washington.
“There were major victories in terms of record investments in education, the establishment of the most progressive paid family leave program in the nation and a budget that protects the most vulnerable among us and invests in our state’s shared priorities.
“I had hoped we could end on a high note and pass a capital budget and a fix to the Hirst water issue. Unfortunately for every Washingtonian, Senate Republican leadership ensured neither issue would be resolved.
“Senate Republicans will defend the indefensible. They will continue to manufacture a narrative that links Hirst to the capital budget that simply doesn’t exist. The fact of the matter is this was a sloppy attempt at political hostage taking with no plan on what to do beyond the initial kidnapping.
“Senate Republican leadership bungled this from start to finish and the people of this state ended up without solutions to urgent problems throughout their communities. No capital budget, no Hirst solution, only excuses from Senate Republicans.”
