Gregoire Makes Unimagined Cuts

Gov. Chris Gregoire Wednesday released her proposal for Washington’s next two-year budget, which included cuts the Democrat said she never had imagined making.

“The choices in it are the most difficult ones I’ve ever faced. It reflects the stark fact that we have increasing caseloads, rising costs and decreasing revenues,” Gregoire said in her budget statement.

“It reflects the desire of the public to balance the budget with all cuts and no new revenue. And it reflects how government, by necessity, will be smaller, do less and focus on core functions,” she said. “The reality of this recession is that it has dismantled many of the programs that I, and millions of others in the state, value.”

The budget proposal includes $32.1 billion in general fund spending over the two years, with a planned $881 million reserve.

Faltering tax revenues have forced a series of cuts over the course of the current two-year budget, culminating with a special session last Saturday in which lawmakers approved $588 million in cuts.

Gregoire’s budget proposal calls for 3% across-the-board pay cuts for rank-and-file state workers, reforms to cut expenses for the state’s most generous employee pension tier — which was closed to new employees years ago — eliminates a health insurance program for the working poor, and gets rid of the state’s elementary school class-size reduction program.

The Democrat’s proposal drew an approving response from the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee.

“Rather than continue tinkering around the edges, the governor has opted for the complete elimination of selected programs,” Gary Alexander said in a statement. “While certainly this is not an easy decision — or a popular one to some constituencies — it is absolutely necessary and represents some of the bold decisions the governor and her staff have had to make.”

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