Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed a $2 billion all-cuts rewrite of the ailing state budget, along with a plan to ask the voters to OK a three-year state sales tax hike of a half-cent to head off some of the cuts. The Democratic governor said the Legislature already has slashed the state budget by $10 billion in the past three years, “shredding” the state safety net and whacking K-12, higher education and other areas. She said her latest list of…
Initiative activist Tim Eyman and his partners will again appear on the Washington state ballot this year. Their Initiative 1053, making it harder for Olympia to raise taxes, cleared its last major hurdle on Monday when the state Elections Division announced that the sponsors submitted enough voter signatures to make the November ballot. I-1053 became the fourth initiative to qualify for the ballot, and two others are widely expected to qualify, too. That would equal the modern record set in…
It’s entirely due to the recently approved $800 million tax package, but the new state revenue forecast is finally showing some positive numbers. The new report today from the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council shows revenue growth of $558 million during the next fiscal year and an additional $1.9 billion in following 2011-13 biennium. Arun Raha, the council director and the state’s chief economist, told the bipartisan panel of legislators and administration officials that the state and national recovery…
Governor Gregoire has signed a new budget for Washington state, but warns that we aren’t out of the woods yet. The Democratic governor signed the $31 billion spending roadmap Tuesday. Combined with a package of tax increases, the major budget revisions address a $2.8 billion gap that developed as the economy deteriorated after the 2009 legislative session. A variety of taxes, including an additional $1-a-pack on smokes, taxes on bottled water and candy, and higher business taxes on some services, are…
Washington’s election-year, deficit-plagued legislative session is now history. After 90 days of debate and wrangling, the Democratic-controlled Legislature closed a $2.8 billion budget gap with a pastiche of taxes, spending cuts, federal aid and other stopgap measures. The session was gaveled to a close early Tuesday. The voters get the final say: All of the 98 House seats will be on the ballot this fall, as will half of the 49-member Senate. Republicans believe Democrats will pay a big price…
Washington lawmakers are back at it. After a three-day pass to go home, the Legislature gathered back at the Capitol at noon Monday to kick off a new special session that can last up to 30 days. Lawmakers’ main task is to plug a $2.8 billion budget hole that developed after the 2009 Legislature adjourned last April 26. Last year, they fixed a $9 billion budget gap without needing higher general taxes, but this year, the majority Democrats are planning…