Politics & Government

Local Lawmakers Brace for Bleak Revenue Forecast

Sen. Derek Kilmer and Rep. Larry Seaquist talk about the upcoming revenue forecast that will determine what will be on the chopping block for the state budget.

Area lawmakers are awaiting the latest state revenue forecast to determine how much more they and fellow legislators will have to cut to balance the next two-year budget.

Sen. Derek Kilmer and Rep. Larry Seaquist, both Gig Harbor Democrats, described what lies ahead to a crowd of about 50 people at a 26th District town hall meeting Saturday.

"We're at the bottom of an extremely deep hole with a very shallow recovery," and people should expect some "horrendous cuts to almost everything," Seaquist said.

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The updated forecast is expected Thursday.

Kilmer, vice chair of the capital budget on the Ways and Means Committee, said state revenue hasn't gained enough traction as forecast.

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The fiscal year 2011 will end in June, and the Legislature is currently facing a revenue shortfall of nearly $12 billion. Washington is facing the same budget shortfalls as every other state, except Montana and North Dakota.

Kilmer said that due to the weak economic recovery, the Legislature is facing an additional budget shortfall of more than $6 billion from 2011 through 2013.

In addition, the biggest tax-dollar funded departments that will fall victim to the budget axe are what he called the "three -ates: medicate, educate and incarcerate."

Kilmer said as more people are out of work, the state has to look at necessary cuts.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the unemployment rate for Washington in January was 9.1 percent.

"If you're going to solve this budget problem, we’ve got to get people back to work," Kilmer said.

Seaquist, chair of the Higher Education Committee, said the state lacks the competitive edge in education compared to the rest of the country, and improving the level of education would help tackle unemployment woes.

With five more weeks to go until the session is scheduled to end on April 24, Seaquist and Kilmer both stressed the bipartisan efforts at balancing the budget.

"There are very healthy times when Republicans get on one side of the room and vote one way, and the Democrats vote for the other," Seaquist said. "But building the budgets and deciding what the priorities are, we are unusually working together today."

While lawmakers brace for major decisions in the near future, Kilmer and Seaquist said they'll look at Washington residents' priorities and welcome any feedback from the public.

"Everybody is strained. Our families, our businesses and our state," Kilmer said. "The state is trying to craft the budget that's focused on the core priorities that looks for state efficiencies within state government so that we're trying not just to deal with the two-year budget problem but also craft a solution that says, 'what do we want the government to look like for the next two decades?'"

"Now is the time to weigh in," said Seaquist. "By [March 22], they will see this budget, and that's when people should e-mail about what they do like and what they don't like."

The fiscal budget will go into effect for two years starting July 1.

After the 40-minute presentation, several community members voiced their concerns and frustrations on issues including the ferry system, health care, education and illegal immigrants.

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Contact your state legislators:

E-mail: Sen. Derek Kilmer or call: 360-786-7650

E-mail: Rep. Larry Seaquist or call: 360-786-7802


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