The state budget challenge
Washington Ag Today December 8, 2010 The governor and state lawmakers will have to agree on spending reductions for the current biennium but then legislators and the governor face coming up with a budget for the new biennium starting next July. Jim Jesernig, a legislative consultant to various agricultural groups, says Washington’s budget is about 34 billion dollars. The expected deficit for the next biennium is currently estimated at about 5.7 billion. Jesernig: “If you could take that five billion out of 34 billion it may be something you can manage around and try to do four percent here and three percent here, but you can‘t in Washington state. You can‘t because there is non-discretionary spending, the largest being K-12 which is constitutionally protected, debt service which is payment for the bonds that have been offered, and some of the prison and nursing home expenses you have federal match requirements. So, some people will say it is ten billion is discretionary, some will say it is around 14 billion is discretionary. The reality is it is somewhere in between and when you are looking at say even 14 billion and you have to take 5.7 billion out of it, it is not 3% around the edges. What you are talking about is 30% reductions, elimination of programs, not doing major things that state government is doing right now.” Jesernig says this is the time for agricultural producers to become involved to defend state spending of importance to them like funding of agricultural research as state lawmakers face some difficult choices. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
