Several factors are influencing our state’s tax collections outlook, which dictates the overall state budget. Unfortunately, the record $32.4 billion 2011-13 budget passed last May will likely be adjusted downward based on lagging tax collections due to continued job losses and hesitant consumers.
The governor and the majority party in the legislature have referred to the state operating budget as a “moral document” that should reflect the values of our people. I believe public safety is a core value of our citizens and one of the primary functions of government. That’s why I am disappointed in recent legislation — not the least of which is the House Democrat budget proposal, House Bill 1087 — which spends $2 billion more than the 2009-11 budget, yet includes more than $31 million in additional cuts to corrections.
As I return to Olympia Jan. 11, this will be my tenth year serving the good people of the 39th…
It may seem that I am always writing these brief columns on public safety issues, but I assure you I…
