Chop, slash, trim: The budget knives are out ...
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The Legislature's Democratic majorities are finally going public with their proposed budgets that close a $9 billion gap, a grim assortment of spending cuts in K-12, higher education, salaries, health and welfare, prisons, parks and agency overhead. An estimated 7,000 state employees will lose their jobs, the Dems said.
The new week was barely underway when Senate Democrats rolled out a plan that leaders called personally painful, yet "honest and responsible." House Democrats quickly reply with their own version of an all-cuts budget on Tuesday. The final deals may be reached in about a month.
Construction and transportation budgets, with their popular shovel-ready projects, much less controversial and are being handled in separate documents and zero deficits.
We're still hearing widespread talk of a revenue package to backfill some of the cuts in health care, education and possibly other sectors of the budget. This would require a statewide public vote. Governor Gregoire and others also are planning on a statewide bond vote for school construction.
The Senate budget uses cuts, $3 billion in federal "stimulus" dollars, salary freezes, "rainy day" savings, and other pots of money to close the record $9 billion spending gap with no general tax hikes. Tuition increases are presumed, as is closing of some tax loopholes, more Sunday liquor sales and so forth.
All told, the cuts total over $3.8 billion. This includes $1.3 billion by largely suspending two voter-approved education measures, cutting higher education by $485 million, slashing administration by $257 million, cutting the Basic Health Plan by $250 million and a welfare program by $190 million. About $740 million normally used in the construction budget is grabbed. Pension contributions are cut by $411 million. The list goes on.
To drill deeper, check these details of Senate Bill 5600, click here.
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Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
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