Washington state budget (2011-2012)
| Note: This article was last updated in 2012. Click here for more recent information on state budgets and finances. |
The state's capital budget as originally enacted can be found here. The transportation budget as originally enacted can be found here.
Special Session May 2011
The legislature did not pass a budget in the 105-day regular session and began its first month-long special session of the year to finish the budget on April 26, 2011. On May 23, 2011, two days before the end of the special session, legislative leaders announced a tentative deal to close a $5.1 billion budget shortfall.[1]Both chambers of the legislature approved the budget on May 25, 2011.[2]
The two-year, $32 billion budget made $4 billion in cuts to higher education, social services and health care programs.[2]
Legislative Budget
The Senate on April 18, 2011, approved its proposed two-year state budget that reduced spending by $4.8 billion to fill the $5.1 billion deficit.[3]The Senate budget included more than $450 million in fund transfers.[4]The House budget reduced spending by $4.4 billion.[4]
Capital Budget
On April 4, 2011, the House released its $3.13 billion construction budget for the biennium. It included construction grants of $718.5 million for K-12 schools and $626.7 million for projects at colleges and universities. Approximately one-fourth of the capital budget, $831.9 million, was intended for renovation and preservation projects for public agencies, which had the potential to generate over 50,000 new construction jobs in the state.[5]
Governor's Proposed Budget
Gov. Gregoire proposed a state budget based on a shortfall of nearly $5 billion.[6][7]
Spending
The governor's proposed budget expenditures were as follows[8]:
| Category | Dollars in Millions |
|---|---|
| Public Schools | $13,746 |
| Higher Education | 2,677 |
| Social & Health Services | 5,768 |
| Healthcare Authority | 4,650 |
| Corrections | 1,693 |
| Bond Retirement & Interest | 1,952 |
| General Government | 829 |
| Natural Resources | 332 |
| All Other* | 477 |
| Total | $32,124 |
*"Other" includes Other Education, Transportation, Contributions to Retirement Systems and Other Appropriations.
Footnotes
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "State budget OK still in doubt | Legislature 2011," May 23, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Seattle Times, "Bipartisan state budget passes," May 25, 2011
- ↑ The News Tribune, "Senate approves state budget," April 19, 2011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Businessweek, "WA Senate advances its 2-year budget, cuts $4.8B," April 19, 2011
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "House unveils $3.13B capital-budget proposal," April 4, 2011
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Wash. budget shortfall could be worse than thought," March 13, 2011
- ↑ The News Tribune, "Government consolidation bills meet opposition," March 6, 2011
- ↑ Washington Office of Financial Management, "Proposed Budget Expenditures," 2011-2013
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