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Local lawmakers call House
Democrat supplemental budget risky
State Senate Republicans
and House Democrats recently unveiled their respective supplemental
budgets and they differ greatly in their approaches, according to 5th
District Reps. Glenn Anderson and Jay Rodne.
The state’s supplemental
budget is a mid-course adjustment of the general fund, which is
determined every two years. The current biennium ends June 30, 2005.
Senate Republicans are calling for controlled spending to ensure
reserves are available for emergencies in upcoming years, while House
Democrats are calling for more spending.
“The Senate’s supplemental
budget adheres to the same fiscally responsible principles from last
year and it’s important we stay the course,” said Anderson, R-Fall
City. “The supplemental budget is for slight mid-course adjustments, not
an overhaul of fiscal principles.”
If the House Democrat
supplemental budget is adopted, the state will have a projected general
fund shortfall of nearly $1 billion for the next biennium, creating the
likelihood of tax increases.
The principles of the Senate Republican supplemental budget mirror that
of last year when then-Sen. Dino Rossi created a budget that was hailed
by many as fiscally sustainable, as it preserved core state services
without increasing taxes. Rossi, also from the 5th District, is now
running for governor.
“Our economic forecast
shows signs of stabilizing, but we can’t say we are out of the woods
yet. Varying revenue streams, natural disasters and factors out of our
control have proven we need a sufficient amount of financial reserves,”
said Rodne, R-Snoqualmie. “While we will hope for the best, we owe it to
taxpayers to prepare for the worst. Families are doing this and so
should their government.”
The Senate plans to debate its budget Wednesday morning, while the House
will debate its budget Wednesday evening. Differences between the
budgets must be worked out before a final budget is sent to the
governor.
March 11 is the last day of the 60-day 2004 legislative session.
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For more information, contact:
Bobbi Cussins, Public
Information Officer - (360) 786-7252
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