Gov. Gregoire signs supplemental operating budget

For Immediate Release: May 2, 2012

Budget maintains vital education funding and reduces spending

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today signed a supplemental operating budget that maintains funding of critical state programs while reducing spending and implementing new government reform measures.

The 2012 supplemental budget reduces spending in the current biennium to $31.1 billion � $1.1 billion less than the 2011-13 budget enacted last year.

�Since the start of the Great Recession, we have reduced current and projected spending by more than $11 billion,� Gregoire said. �In addition to these reductions, we have dramatically reformed government operations through a wide range of initiatives, including modernizing our pension systems, closing institutions, implementing Lean and consolidating programs to increase efficiency.�

The new supplemental budget assumes $120 million in savings resulting from agencies spending less than their appropriations after the 2012 supplemental reductions. These savings come on top of $478 million in spending cuts, fund transfers and new revenue approved by the Legislature during the December 2011 special session.

With the governor�s vetoes, the new budget currently projects an ending fund balance of $311 million.