The Washington State Caseload Forecast Council Thursday reported an increase in needs for state services, adding $300 million to the state’s budget shortfall.
The Seattle Times has the story here.
Lawmakers must now fill a roughly $1.3 billion shortfall when writing the next two-year state budget this session. This does not include additional money the state Supreme Court says the Legislature must allocate to fund basic education.
The next revenue forecast is due out March 20, which lawmakers will use to write the 2013-2015 biennial state budget.