Critical Special Session Starts Monday

On Monday, state lawmakers will reconvene in Olympia for a critical special session.

As a direct result of the national recession, the state has faced a double whammy. As Washingtonians we expect our state government to help the growing numbers of our neighbors in need of help with such essentials as health care, education and putting food on the table.

Yet the recession has meant the state has less funding to assist.

It’s important to note that last year, lawmakers slashed $3.6 billion from K-12 and higher education and health care in an all-cuts budget.

Over the last few months, the Budget & Policy Center has done a series of analysis of the devastating impact piling on more cuts this year would have.

We’ve also analyzed and proposed revenue proposals. While there would still be cuts under the current proposals, the revenue is essential to prevent even deeper cuts in areas like health care or others like education that are important for our state’s economy..

Highlights of our analysis and proposals should provide guidance for policymakers in their final negotiations:

Governor's Budget Shows Need for Balanced Approach 

In December, the Governor laid out what another budget with no revenue increases would mean. Combined with the cuts already enacted in the current biennium, the Governor’s supplemental budget proposal would result in a nearly 14 percent reduction in the state’s investments in education, health care, and economic security.

Read more:

• Governor's Budget will Create Costly Problems Down the Road
• Governor's Budget would Reduce Opportunity for Students from Preschool to University
• FY09-11 Budget Cuts to Health and Environment Would Total 15%
• FY09-11 Education Budget Cuts Would Total 14% - Higher Ed Gets 23% Hit
• FY09-11 Budget Would Cut Economic Security Spending by 23%

Putting the proposals into context: 

Raising revenue would be keeping with the approach most states are taking. Here, higher revenue would preserve key public priorities. Taken into context, it’ would also be a moderate approach. State spending would still go down; there would be painful cuts in some areas on top of last year’s cuts, and revenue increases would represent a small part of the approach lawmakers have taken in response to the recession.

• Make No Mistake--State Budget Will Shrink under Senate and House Proposals
• Cuts in the Senate Budget Proposal
• Senate Budget Proposal: Revenue Increases Would Account for only 10% of Total Budget Solutions
• Current WA tax proposals enacted in many states, new report shows