Gregoire, leaders gird for budget-cutting
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Bleak times: Gov. Chris Gregoire and a bipartisan panel of legislative leaders say the 105-day session that convenes next Monday will inevitably feature massive state budget spending cuts as Olympia deals with an unprecedented $4.6 billion budget gap.
The Democratic governor, who recently unveiled a no-new-taxes budget, said the voters sent a clear and unmistakable signal with their tightfisted votes in November that they want an all-cuts budget. That tracked with what Republican leaders of the House and Senate told the annual AP pre-session forum. You can't spend more money than you have, they said. House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, leaders of smaller Democratic majorities after the election, didn't resist talk of a budget balanced without new taxes.
Typically in a recession, Olympia responds with a mixture of cuts and new taxes, but voters have just rejected two new revenue-generating ballot measures and reimposed a two-thirds supermajority requirement for lawmakers to raise taxes.
House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt (R-Chehalis) also said new fees should also be off the table. Gregoire proposes user fees or fare increases for parks, ferries, water-rights permits, and other services; some lawmakers favor a transportation tax ballot measure, or even a dedicated tax for some services that fall under the budget knife.
Gregoire and other leaders touted efforts to consolidate and reform state government, spur the economy and create jobs. The lawmakers said they'll try to preserve school levy-equalization and some health and social programs for the vulnerable.
Gregoire and others called for bipartisanship such as that displayed during the one-day mini-session last month to cut the current budget. Chopp suggested a little Croatian line-dancing might be in order!
The session is gaveled to a start on Monday at noon. Gregoire gives her State of the State Address on Tuesday and Chief Justice Barbara Madsen gives her State of the Judiciary Address on Wednesday.
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Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
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