Tax hikes or tough cuts? No easy answers for state
The bleak revenue forecast could mean a health-care disaster for thousands of poor people in Washington, with potential cuts to programs that have already lost major chunks of funding, community advocates said this week.
The state's Economic and Revenue Forecast Council lowered its tax revenue prediction Thursday, by as much as $1.4 billion. That means the state's just-approved, two-year, $32 billion budget is now almost $1.3 billion in the red.
The dire news sent lawmakers scrambling for answers, ranging from asking voters to increase taxes to putting programs for poor people back under the knife.