Legislative foot-dragging on budget makes case for giving governor enhanced budget tools

It's true that it takes time to make thoughtful decisions on reducing a $32 billion state budget. It's also true that lawmakers have known since this summer that the Governor would be calling a special session to balance the budget. Yet despite knowing what is required, the sense of urgency on display in Olympia right now is wanting, to say the least. The Governor could have helped provide extra incentive for lawmakers to act by also ordering date certain across-the-board cuts that would take effect unless the Legislature balanced the budget itself or provided the Governor the tools to do so . . . READ MORE