Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Highlights of Gregoire budget plan
Some key features of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s first proposed supplemental budget, which would bridge a projected $2.6 billion deficit without asking for new revenue. The plan would take about $900 million from reserves and other one-time fixes and cut about $1.7 billion in state spending. It would leave about $300 million in reserves.
Higher education: Save about $146 million by dropping more than 12,000 students from the State Need Grant financial aid program and shrinking the remaining grants. She also would trim $89.5 million from state payments to colleges and universities, which could prompt higher tuition.
K-12 Education: Eliminate a statewide program to reduce class size in kindergarten through fourth grade, saving $110 million. Suspend levy equalization assistance, which gives extra money to districts with a lower-than-average property tax base, saving $142 million. Suspend all-day kindergarten.
Human services: Save $88 million by eliminating grants to about 29,000 people in the General Assistance-Unemployable program. Drug treatment for 3,800 poor adults reduced, saving $5.4 million. Payments to foster parents cut 8 percent, saving $4.1 million.
Health care: Trim about $280 million by eliminating the Basic Health Plan for about 65,000 people, and General Assistance-Unemployable medical services for about 20,000 people. Cut about $11 million by eliminating health care subsidies for children with family incomes above 205 percent of the federal poverty level, affecting 16,000 children. Adult hospice care, which provides end-of-life services for 2,600 people, would also be suspended, beginning Jan. 1, 2011.
Public safety: Consolidate prison facilities to save $8.7 million. Reduce the number of juveniles in state institutions and eliminate 25 staff positions at the Washington State Patrol, including criminal records analysts and crime lab specialists. Downsize the women’s prison by releasing nonviolent offenders who are custodial parents of minors.
Early learning: Eliminate preschool slots for more than 1,500 3-year-olds, saving $1.5 million. Money is preserved for the program for 4-year-olds.
Higher education: Save about $146 million by dropping more than 12,000 students from the State Need Grant financial aid program and shrinking the remaining grants. She also would trim $89.5 million from state payments to colleges and universities, which could prompt higher tuition.
K-12 Education: Eliminate a statewide program to reduce class size in kindergarten through fourth grade, saving $110 million. Suspend levy equalization assistance, which gives extra money to districts with a lower-than-average property tax base, saving $142 million. Suspend all-day kindergarten.
Human services: Save $88 million by eliminating grants to about 29,000 people in the General Assistance-Unemployable program. Drug treatment for 3,800 poor adults reduced, saving $5.4 million. Payments to foster parents cut 8 percent, saving $4.1 million.
Health care: Trim about $280 million by eliminating the Basic Health Plan for about 65,000 people, and General Assistance-Unemployable medical services for about 20,000 people. Cut about $11 million by eliminating health care subsidies for children with family incomes above 205 percent of the federal poverty level, affecting 16,000 children. Adult hospice care, which provides end-of-life services for 2,600 people, would also be suspended, beginning Jan. 1, 2011.
Public safety: Consolidate prison facilities to save $8.7 million. Reduce the number of juveniles in state institutions and eliminate 25 staff positions at the Washington State Patrol, including criminal records analysts and crime lab specialists. Downsize the women’s prison by releasing nonviolent offenders who are custodial parents of minors.
Early learning: Eliminate preschool slots for more than 1,500 3-year-olds, saving $1.5 million. Money is preserved for the program for 4-year-olds.
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