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Washington Class Size Measure Puts $2B Dent in State Budget

File photo of the Washington State Capitol Building
Colin Fogarty
/
Northwest News Network
File photo of the Washington State Capitol Building

Washington’s budget outlook is suddenly $2 billion in the red largely because of a class size reduction measure just approved by the voters.

That initiative adds to an already challenging budget picture when lawmakers convene in January.

“I think we have a significant problem here and we have work to do,” Democrat Ross Hunter said. He’s the chief budget writer in the Washington House.

Hunter believes additional tax revenues will be needed to balance the next budget.

Senate Republican budget chair Andy Hill disagrees.

“You know taxes should not be the first response, they should be the absolute last one,” he said.

Washington does expect to take in about $3 billion more in revenues over the next two years because of a recovering economy. But the state also has some major bills to pay including a Supreme Court mandate to increase funding for public schools.

Copyright 2014 Northwest News Network

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."