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Sen. Robinson says revised budgets due after March revenue forecast as lawmakers weigh multi‑billion dollar cuts
Summary
Sen. Robinson told reporters the Senate and House expect to release budget proposals in mid‑ to late‑March after the revenue forecast and are considering a range of reductions; lawmakers warned a potential federal funding freeze could force painful tradeoffs for K‑12, health and housing programs.
Sen. Robinson said at a press conference that the Senate and House will release updated budget plans in mid‑ to late‑March after the March revenue forecast and fiscal cutoff, and that lawmakers are actively evaluating reductions proposed by agencies and staff.
The senator said the Legislature is “working through Governor Inslee’s budget” while scrutinizing proposals for reductions and coordinating closely with House budget writers and Republican colleagues. Robinson emphasized stakeholder input and said the goal is to “right size” spending while meeting Washington residents’ needs.
The moderator, speaking later in the session, described potential multi‑year cut scenarios and the sequencing staff are using to identify savings. “It’s possible that that $5,000,000,000 over the next 4 years or $6,000,000,000, I think we’d be happy to start from that point,” the moderator said, adding that an $8,000,000,000 figure would leave more room for investments if achievable.
Officials cautioned that many reductions under consideration are smaller line‑item adjustments — programs that have not spent past allocations or funds that sit unused — rather than single large program eliminations. A staff member noted that Governor Inslee’s budget baseline presumes about $12,000,000,000 in revenue and urged caution against short‑term reductions that could create long‑term harm, citing lessons from the Great Recession.
Reporters asked about possible new taxes, including a wealth tax. Robinson said she “can’t speak to the House” but that “there remains substantial interest in the Senate in … local tax” options; no final tax decisions were announced. Lawmakers said they will need to determine how much additional revenue, if any, is required after completing disciplined review of potential cuts.
Looking ahead, Robinson said the budget teams expect to release proposals following the March revenue forecast and continue member‑to‑member discussions in the run‑up to floor action.
