WA state budget is a mess. Gov. Inslee must not shut out legislators | Editorial

Washington state legislators have been waiting in the wings for weeks as Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency COVID-19 directives play out.

It is time to call them back to work.

The state’s official revenue forecast released June 17 shows a massive reduction in tax collections caused by the COVID-19 stay-home order. In fact, the state’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council is predicting a $9 billion loss over the next three years.

While it was necessary to keep people apart in order to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the lockdown has put the state into an economic tailspin. Unemployment is at record levels and businesses around the state have closed or are barely scraping by.

Inslee already has asked state agencies to cut 15 percent from their budgets, which includes a suggested $503 million from the Department of Social and Health Services and $52 million from the Washington College Grant program.

Such drastic reductions will mean less state money to help the elderly, college students, vulnerable adults and people in financial distress.

Considering the state lockdown forced many families into economic hardship, state officials should do all they can to help them out.

Inslee is requiring many state workers to take furlough days, and he is canceling scheduled 3% raises for the highest-paid state employees. But more budget-saving measures will be needed in the days ahead.

Last month, lawmakers began asking Inslee to call a special 30-day emergency session to deal with the state budget crisis that now has been added to the state health crisis.

Inslee, so far, has said he won’t call legislators in until he knows there is a plan in place and there is a good chance of success.

But why not get that plan going now?

We understand it makes no sense to bring legislators together if they can’t agree on a path forward. However, there should be some common-sense decisions that can get bipartisan support.

It probably would help if lawmakers would commit to focusing only on the budget, and not use a special session to grandstand before elections later this summer and this fall.

At the very least, the Legislature should meet and put a hold on new spending and new programs that are scheduled to go into effect July 1.

Keeping the status quo should be a reasonable consideration under the circumstances. It makes no sense to expand or create new programs if they will end up getting gutted later.

The current state budget for 2019-21 is $53.3 billion, which is $8.6 billion — or 19 percent — higher than the previous 2017-19 state budget. That was set back before the coronavirus struck and wrecked the economy.

Now we are looking at a devastating budget shortfall.

If state officials don’t rein in spending now, it could mean more drastic cuts later. Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, has said saving a $1 in June will save a $1.50 in January. And that 50 cents adds up quickly when you are talking about billions of dollars.

“The Legislature has the ultimate control over the budget, yet Gov. Inslee has chosen to keep us from stepping in — even though the executive and legislative branches are co-equal under our constitution, and we directly represent the people who have endured this pandemic,” he said.

Schoesler also said that Inslee’s excuse not to call a special session because there is no plan “falls short coming from the same governor who shut the state down without first having a plan for reopening it.”

With coronavirus cases surging in Benton and Franklin counties, we are all wondering how much longer we must remain in Phase 1.

State officials did not approve the applications to move on because of the rising number of cases. They also said the Tri-Cities needs to be doing more to limit the spread of the coronavirus, including better compliance with orders for people to wear masks in public.

The longer our communities remain in Phase 1, the more our economy suffers.

People are getting weary of the stress. These worries will be compounded if the state budget isn’t managed early.

The governor needs to allow state lawmakers to do their job, represent their constituents and make some budget adjustments now when we still have time to lessen the damage.

The new budget begins in two weeks. A reduction in state spending must start before then, and state legislators should be the ones to make that happen.

This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 12:51 PM.