FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     Sept. 18, 2009    

House Republican budget leader releases statement on revenue forecast

'While I don't think a special session is warranted at this time, I feel strongly that budget writers need to be hammering out the details to a supplemental budget right now,' says Alexander

The Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council issued its updated revenue forecast, showing state revenues down for the 2009-11 biennium by $231 million with total projected General Fund revenue for the biennium at $29.6 billion.  For the remainder of the 2007-09 biennium, revenue decreased by $7 million with total projected General Fund revenue at $27.7 billion.

The budget leader for the Washington State House Republicans, Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, released the following statement regarding the updated revenue forecast:

"If there are any positive feelings about today's forecast they are tempered with a dose of economic and employment reality that is all too real for our families.

"While it may appear to some that our state economy is stabilizing, too many of our citizens are out of work.  We continue to lose jobs, we're spending more money than we're taking in, and we're continuing on the path toward another multi-billion dollar shortfall in the next state budget.

"I, and my House Republican colleagues, continue to believe significant and immediate steps are needed to restructure how our state delivers services and how we pay for those services.

"During the last legislative session, we offered legislative solutions to help bring accountability, sustainability and transparency to the budget process.

"Our legislation included things like requiring fiscal notes to be established before a bill can pass, requiring a five-day waiting period before voting on the budget, and reestablishing a constitutionally-protected spending limit.  These are all ideas that have broad public support but were met with lukewarm interest by the majority party, even in the midst of dire economic times.
"We will continue to push for these proposals while we bring new ideas to the table on how government can perform its core functions more efficiently and effectively.  We cannot continue operating government in the same manner while expecting different results.  There must be change.

"Also, while I don't think a special session is warranted at this time, I feel strongly that budget writers need to be hammering out the details to a supplemental budget right now. We need to be voting on a supplemental budget the first week of the 2010 session.

"The sooner we act, the less drastic the cuts in the budget need to be.  This is a lesson the Legislature didn't learn last session as budget writers wasted time and opportunity to the tune of billions of dollars.  I hope the same mistake is not made again."

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