OLYMPIA – Representative Timm Ormsby (D-Spokane), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement regarding today’s forecast:
“Given the volatility of the last few months on the national and international stage and our own challenges here in Washington state through increased inflation, higher caseloads, and uneven revenue growth, this is what we expected.
“With revenue growth slower than it has been in about a decade, and the continued impacts of inflation being felt across the budget, we know what we need to do. House Democrats are taking a balanced approach to reducing the budget where we can and addressing our regressive tax structure to ask the wealthiest in our state to help us keep people alive.
“Let’s be crystal clear: Our focus is on maintaining food, shelter, and health for Washington residents. When we ask for revenue, it’s because it’s necessary to keep people alive.”