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Tag: spending cuts

Budget crisis update: Senate greenlights aid

Budget crisis update: Senate greenlights aid

Just as Washington was girding for a nasty special legislative session or across-the-board spending cuts by Governor Gregoire, Congress may at long last be riding to the rescue.  The U.S. Senate voted 61-38 in a key test vote Wednesday to jump-start a $26 billion aid package for the financially-strapped states. That  would translate into over a half-billion for Washington state. This would include $320 million in Medicaid matching funds that the Legislature had booked when it wrote the budget last…

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Light at end of tunnel for lawmakers

Light at end of tunnel for lawmakers

Time runs out Tuesday on Washington’s 30-day special session of the Legislature – and the Democratic leaders believe they’ve pretty well nailed down agreement on an $800 million tax package and a budget rewrite. Rank-and-file lawmakers have been back in their home districts for nearly all of the special session that Governor Gregoire called on March 15.  House Speaker Frank Chopp of Seattle, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown of Spokane and budget and finance negotiators, along with the governor and…

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Pollster: WA conflicted over best budget, tax solution

Pollster: WA conflicted over best budget, tax solution

Washington lawmakers, struggling with a $2.8 billion budget gap, generally acknowledge that deep spending cuts will be required, but they’re still sparring over whether to also rely heavily on tax hikes.  Not much guidance from a new statewide poll that shows similar conflicting views among the electorate. Although a sizable chunk (37 percent) wouldn’t support new taxes, 63 percent said it would at least be part of the solution.  The latter voters gave a mixed reply when asked whether the…

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