Gov. Gregoire, Legislature call end to special session, reach budget agreement

For Immediate Release: April 13, 2010

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today, acknowledging the �tough choices� confronted during the special session, thanked members of the Legislature for their work on behalf of the people of Washington.

�Tough times require tough choices,� Gregoire said. �It�s taken a little longer then we hoped to find the path forward, but the end result is a good one. We have reached an agreement that will preserve critical programs for our students, seniors and most vulnerable while balancing the budget with a mix of tightly targeted revenues.�

Gregoire will now consider an approved budget that includes $631 million in new revenue that will help support critical state programs, including:

� The Basic Health Program, which will continue to offer health insurance for more than 60,000 Washingtonians;
� The State Need Grant program, which helps the state�s lowest-income undergraduate students pursue degrees, hone skills, or retrain for new careers;
� The levy equalization program, which provides state financial support to school districts with a lower than average property tax base; and
� Maternity services for at-risk mothers and hospice care for thousands of low income Washingtonians.

�While new funding will be generated to support needed state programs, I want to be clear that we will be cutting more from the budget than what will be raised in new revenue,� Gregoire said. �This means layoffs at state agencies, facility closures and larger class sizes for our young students. All Washingtonians, in one way or another, will feel the effects of these painful reductions.�

Gregoire applauded lawmakers for their action to help businesses succeed, passing a package of job creation incentives and training programs to help people get back to work.

�While we�ve seen signs of improvement, we know we�re not out of the woods yet when it comes to economic recovery,� Gregoire said. �We were very careful to develop programs that would offer employers incentives for continued hiring, while developing new revenue options that minimize adverse impacts on businesses and our economic growth.�

Gregoire reminded lawmakers of the important work achieved this session and highlighted actions to reform and streamline state government, enhance public safety and strengthen the state�s application for federal Race to the Top funding.

�While we have some legitimate disagreements along partisan lines, we should never forget how much important work is done in a bipartisan spirit,� Gregoire said. �I acknowledge and appreciate the efforts and hard work of my legislative colleagues in conducting their work.�