OLYMPIA, Wash. — New Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) held a press conference on his 43rd day in office to address the state’s budget shortfalls.
Ferguson’s office said the state is facing a multi-billion-dollar deficit, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are working to address ways to close the gap.
According to Ferguson’s office, the governor’s budget proposals are built on four principles:
1. “Good government efficiencies and reductions to ensure state agencies are running as lean as possible and right-sizing government. Many of these are reductions that should be made even if there was not a budget shortfall.”
2. “Given the budget situation, Ferguson examined proposed or adopted spending not yet implemented very carefully.”
3. Rolling back the clock on recent spending – “For example, investments made two years ago for the current biennium. If the Legislature two years ago knew they would be facing a $15 billion shortfall, it likely would not have made all of these investments.”
4. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington received significant one-time funding from the federal government for various programs. “Those one-time dollars have been eliminated or significantly reduced. In some circumstances, the state has backfilled those one-time dollars with ongoing general fund resources. Ferguson and his team took a close look at whether the state could take on those obligations for those federal dollars that were meant as a one-time investment during COVID.”
Notably, Ferguson proposed a requirement that most state employees take one furlough day per month for the next two years, which he says will create $300 million in savings. Certain public employees will be exempt, including troopers patrolling state highways and prison and state hospital staff, Ferguson said.
Ferguson also claims that his proposals in government spending do not directly impact “vital services.” He said he is looking for opportunities to combine or remove “redundant or duplicative programs or investments that exceed the state’s actual needs.”
In December, then-governor Jay Inslee unveiled his budget proposal that included creating a wealth tax and increasing business and occupation taxes for certain companies.
“We approached balancing the budget first by looking for savings in our own operations. We’ve paused nonessential programs, delayed expansions, rightsized state agencies to work nimbly, and implemented a statewide spending freeze. Even with these actions, protecting our progress on the issues Washingtonians care about requires additional revenue. That’s why this budget includes targeted tax adjustments on the wealthiest multi-millionaires and businesses in Washington to ensure those with the greatest means contribute their fair share,” Inslee said, in part, in a statement about the proposed 2025-27 budget.
It appears Ferguson is proposing ideas from his predecessor.
KIRO 7 has reached out to the Washington State GOP for their response to Ferguson’s proposals and are waiting to hear back.
Watch KIRO 7′s exclusive sit-down with the newly-sworn-in Gov. Ferguson from January, where he discusses the budget shortfall.
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