House Democrats begin rebalancing process

Governor Gregoire has asked the Legislature to convene a special session in November to address a budget shortfall that is expected to reach nearly $2 billion before June, 2013. However, the House Democratic Caucus is not waiting to start addressing the problem – HDC members met in Olympia today to get a full briefing from House Ways and Means Chair Ross Hunter and begin discussions on options for filling the gap.

During the discussion, members were reminded that:

• The state operating budget for the last 18 months of the biennium (January 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013) is about $24 billion.
• 72% of that amount cannot be reduced because it is either constitutionally- or federally- required spending.
• That leaves about $7 billion in which to find reductions.

Budget writers are keeping all options on the table right now. The hope is that budget writers will reach an agreement prior to the start of special session.

Members will meet again in a couple weeks to get a progress report from budget writers and further develop solutions. Majority Leader Pat Sullivan talks about the process here.

To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.