Last week, I wrote about the cuts our state budget is facing and that we would be releasing our Senate budget proposal sometime this week, and the House would release its proposal shortly after that.

I have learned in my years down in Olympia that everything during our legislative sessions is subject to change, and our budget roll-out has proven to be no different. As I told you last week, our latest revenue forecast reduced our expected tax collections by another $500 million. With this news, we needed just a little bit more time balance our budget – now facing a $9 billion shortfall.

Our operating budget will now be released to the public Monday at 10:30 a.m. That afternoon at 3:30 p.m., the Senate Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on the proposed budget in Senate Hearing Room 4 in the John A. Cherberg building. The hearing will continue on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the same location if more time is needed to hear public testimony.

Unfortunately, the operating budget will be an “all-cuts” budget, but I will be work with Senate leadership to present a tax package that voters can pass or reject as they see fit. It is true that we cannot tax our way out of this shortfall, but I do believe that if we cut our way out we will create greater and more expensive problems down the road.

The issues our state’s programs address do not disappear if the programs go away. When we cut people from programs that make basic health care affordable, those citizens do not get or stay healthy. Their ailments simply get more expensive because they then have no option but to visit an emergency room, whose exorbitant costs are spread over the premiums paid by those with health insurance. And if we reduce opportunities for our citizens to pursue their education, we further weaken our struggling economy.

We will introduce our Senate Capital Budget on Wednesday. The capital budget is separate from our operating budget and is really our state’s construction budget. The hearing for this budget has yet to be scheduled.

Monday, March 30, is the last day for Senate committees to approve House policy bills that are not related to the budget. The fiscal committees have until Monday, April 6 to take up bills that have a monetary impact – including the budget. After that point, we will be on the Senate floor where the entire Senate will vote on House bills followed by trying to reconcile differences between House and Senate on many bills.

Next week, I will provide more details about our proposed budget. The budget will, most certainly, threaten the values of all Washingtonians.

Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, (D-36th District) chairs the Washington State Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.