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The Washington State
Expenditure Limit Committee's 4-1 decision
Statement from Rep. Gary Alexander
“Today’s decision by the
Expenditure Limit Committee is disappointing. I voted ‘no’ because the
state should not be manipulating its appropriations process in order to
avoid the voter-approved spending limits of I-601. The majority party
has, first, made hundreds of millions in appropriations to other
accounts for fiscal year 2007 and counted them as expenditures when
they’ve not actually been spent, and claimed that this allows them to
keep the spending limits higher. Second, they’ve shifted hundreds of
millions of dollars in spending for services historically funded from
the general fund to an account not covered by the limit, without
lowering the limit for the shift as required by law. This is not what
voters intended when they passed I-601, it does not restore integrity to
our budget process, and it is not in the best interest of our state
financially."
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Washington
State Expenditure Limit Committee is charged with adjusting the
fiscal year 2007 expenditure limit based on actual expenditures, and
then projecting the limits for fiscal year 2008 and 2009. The Committee
is comprised of six members: the two chairs of the Senate and House
budget committees, the two ranking members of the Senate and House
budget committees, director of the Office of Financial Management, and
attorney general.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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