Dear friends and neighbors,
The special session starts one week from today, and I have been busy prepping for what will be an incredibly difficult task. That preparation has meant lots of meetings with constituents and stakeholders, trips throughout the district and to Olympia, and scouring through lots of numbers including the Governor’s budget proposal and the most recent revenue forecast (more info below on the November 17 revenue forecast). In the coming weeks, there will be additional budget proposals to consider as well; it’s important to remember that they are proposals, and we do not know what will be in the final budget yet. If you have any questions about budget proposals or the budget process, don’t hesitate to contact my office.
Today marked my last mobile office event and I’m grateful to everyone who attended a mobile office or roundtable event over the last month. When I was elected, I made a commitment to all of the people I represent to be available to meet with them, and these events have been a great opportunity to meet with folks and find out what’s on their minds. Of course, the budget was the main focus of discussion—especially the potential impacts to education. People across the district, and the state, are concerned about cuts to education. The reality of the budget situation is that we have to make cuts to state programs; however, as an advocate for education, I take my responsibility to protect education seriously, because we all know that education is the foundation for our children and our states’ future success.
In the coming weeks, my colleagues and I will continue to work to address our $2 billion shortfall. I hope you will continue to contact me to share your thoughts through the process.
Regards,
Kristine
State’s budget situation continues to slide downward – but at a slower pace
The Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council released the quarterly revenue forecast Thursday morning, and it indicated that, although there are some bright spots on the horizon, our economy is still not back on track. The council’s executive director, Dr. Arun Raha, reported that the revenue forecast for the 2011-2013 biennium is now $122 million lower that it was just two months ago, bringing the current budget shortfall to about $2.1 billion.
Despite success in the aerospace and software industries, our state continues to struggle, largely as a result of events out of our control, namely the European debt crisis and the continued instability in federal deficit reduction negotiations. Washington’s employment numbers are not great, and the public sector continues to shed jobs. As a result of this uncertainty, consumer confidence remains weak.
Is Washington’s revenue really lower?
I’ve been hearing this question from many constituents recently. Well, Dr. Raha included some slides in his presentation this morning that dispel that myth once and for all. As you can see below, state revenues have declined in real numbers from the 2008 level, and have failed to keep up with our growing population.
For more information on the revenue forecast or to see these charts in full-screen, click here.
