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Senate plan trims furloughs to one year, taps $1.6 billion from rainy day fund to smooth budget
Summary
Robinson said the Senate Democrats propose a one‑year, 5% furlough (about 13 unpaid workdays) rather than the governor's two‑year plan, and the budget would withdraw $1.6 billion from the rainy day fund in fiscal 2026 with repayment planned in fiscal 2027.
State Sen. June Robinson said the Senate Democrats' budget would use a one‑year furlough approach for state workers as part of its reductions and would draw $1.6 billion from the state's rainy day fund to help close near‑term gaps.
Robinson contrasted the Senate proposal with Governor Jay Inslee and Governor Jay Ferguson's exercises: she said Governor Ferguson proposed two years of furloughs (12 days per year), while the Senate's plan is configured as a single‑year 5% salary reduction — which Robinson said equates to roughly 13 working days without pay for that year. "The our proposal is 1 year, and it's configured as a 5% salary reduction, which equals 13 working days in that year," Robinson said, adding that the reduction is temporary and that salaries would return to collective‑bargaining levels afterward.
On reserves, Robinson said the budget pulls $1.6 billion from the rainy day fund in fiscal year 2026 and repays it in fiscal year 2027. She acknowledged uncertainty in the federal outlook but said projected revenues in the caucus' forecast restore the fund to roughly $2 billion by fiscal 2027 and $3 billion by fiscal 2029 under their assumptions.
Robinson said staff and agencies' reduction exercises (cited as roughly $4 billion in the governor's proposals) informed parts of the Senate plan and that the caucus adopted many similar items from those exercises. She emphasized that further work with the House and governor will determine the final package.
