OLYMPIA… In a unanimous vote today, the Senate passed its version of the supplemental capital budget, Substitute Senate Bill 6384. Sen. Dale Brandland, R-Whatcom County, helped craft the budget as the ranking Republican member of the Capital Budget Sub-Committee.

“When I sat down with Sen. Fraser to work on this budget, I went in with the mind-set that we have a limited amount of money and we needed to set priorities,” said Brandland. “This is what we came up with, but it’s also not the end result. We still have to send this over to the House.”

The capital budget is separate from the operating budget, and is used to build, repair and improve state-owned buildings, public schools, public lands and parks. The Senate proposal includes $234 million in projects and $92 million in bond spending. Some of projects include:

• $10 million for the Columbia River Basin Water Supply Development program;
• $15 million for the start up of the bio-diesel industry;
• $2.9 million for completion of the State Patrol crime lab in Vancouver; and
• $1 million for school mapping program.

“I’m pleased with what this budget does for public safety, particularly the $2.9 million we dedicated to the completion of the Vancouver crime lab,” Brandland said. “I’m certain that this investment will help us catch up on the 1,000 cases of DNA testing that are waiting.”

Brandland also applauded the inclusion of $1 million for a school mapping program that develops detailed building and campus information of schools.

“Mapping our local schools provides critical information to our emergency responders,” he added.

A final list of projects will be negotiated following the release of a supplemental capital budget proposal from the House of Representatives.

Brandland represents Washington’s 42nd district, which includes Bellingham, Lynden and Blaine. Brandland serves on the Financial Institutions, Housing and Consumer Protection Committee, Health and Long-Term Care Committee, Human Services and Corrections Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee.