Democrats settle on plan for patching up WA's strained budget
Democrats in the Washington Legislature released a budget deal Wednesday balanced with one-time maneuvers, siphoning of rainy day reserves and slashing of child care funding.
“There will be a lot of people who are disappointed by this budget. We knew that,” Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said Wednesday morning. “I think we did the best we could with the resources that we have available to us.”
The spending blueprint emerged less than 24 hours after Democrats celebrated House passage of a new income tax on millionaires that they hope will generate billions of dollars and put the state on more stable financial footing. But before that, they’ll confront an estimated $878 million budget hole in 2027.
The $79.4 billion plan makes changes to the $77.8 billion two-year budget lawmakers passed last year, which covers state funding for July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027. It’s fueled in part by an $880 million withdrawal from the rainy day fund.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/11/democrats-settle-on-plan-for-patching-up-was-strained-budget/