A new budget forecast is out. It's now up to $8.3Bn for next biennium. Back when we thought it was just a $5.8Bn deficit, the governor handed the legislature a $33.5Bn budget. That now gets to be pared down to $31Bn somehow. Earlier, the $5.8Bn number was cited as 20% of the discretionary budget. Which would make $8.3Bn about 28.6% of the discretionary budget, of which Higher Ed is a part.
Ouch.
But then, we kind of expected the forecasts to get worse. Alas.
The Legislature doesn't have a lot of options. Cutting is the easiest thing to do from a procedural point of view, as any new taxes have a large process they have to go through before being approved; thanks to the Washington State initiative process. However, any time you try to cut any of the unprotected sacred cows, such as childhood healthcare or public education there will be phone calls. Lots of phone calls.
I expect the 2010 initiative process to include more than one attempt to roll back a cut made this year. We'll see.
Ouch.
But then, we kind of expected the forecasts to get worse. Alas.
The Legislature doesn't have a lot of options. Cutting is the easiest thing to do from a procedural point of view, as any new taxes have a large process they have to go through before being approved; thanks to the Washington State initiative process. However, any time you try to cut any of the unprotected sacred cows, such as childhood healthcare or public education there will be phone calls. Lots of phone calls.
I expect the 2010 initiative process to include more than one attempt to roll back a cut made this year. We'll see.