Budget close, Roach sent to motel

The Legislature is moving along on budget issues, and the GOP is giving Dan Roach a timeout and taking away the Play Station, after his ridiculous outburst on the House floor last week. From The Olympian:

House and Senate negotiators were trading budget counterproposals Friday, narrowing their differences in major areas of disagreement around K-12 education and especially how to treat math and science education. Gov. Chris Gregoire had proposed twice as much spending on math and science, teacher training and related efforts as the House and three times what the Senate did.

But Sen. Craig Pridemore, the Vancouver Democrat who is the Senate’s No. 1 budget writer, said the Senate and House are moving closer to the governor’s requests, as well as toward each other. In the House, the top budget writer, Rep. Helen Sommers, D-Seattle, said much the same.

“We are right now very, very close on K-12,” Pridemore said Friday before the Senate adjourned for the Easter weekend. “I think the governor will be very pleased.’’

“We do try to move closer to the governor in a number of areas, and they do, too,” Sommers confirmed.

And:

Debolt said he asked the House presiding officer to set aside any bills from Roach.

“It’s a good day to chill out,” DeBolt said.

“Easter being the season of hope and renewal, we’ll take a break and come back with hope and renewal” today, DeBolt said in a sit-down with reporters, adding Roach had apologized to Kessler.

It is hard to imagine where Roach got the idea that anything goes. Well, at least he didn't mail a fax sex offender postcard.