Washington's budget motto: "In Congress we trust"

Today Governor Gregoire signed the 2010 supplemental budget. In doing so she put her faith and trust in Congress that additional federal funds will be approved to help her avoid making across-the-board cuts. By making 60 vetoes to SB 6444, Gregoire reduced the state's reserves to $452 million (just over one percent) for the 2009-11 biennium. Unfortunately, to temporarily balance the budget, lawmakers rely on an extension of $480 million in one-time federal Medicaid funds that have yet to pass Congress. According to Stateline.org, assuming these new federal funds is no longer the sure thing it was once thought to be . . . READ MORE