Structural reforms for a sustainable state budget

A combination of past spending increases and a historic economic downturn has left lawmakers in Olympia facing difficult choices to reset state government. Though tax revenues dropped substantially for the 2009-11 budget, they are projected to increase by $4.5 billion for the 2011-13 budget. While this should be cause for relief, lawmakers for years have been spending more than taxpayers provided, creating a structural budget gap that now threatens important public programs. This past overspending was unsustainable on its own, but was exacerbated by the “great recession" . . . READ MORE