Gov. Christine Gregoire
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire says if $480 million in Medicaid matching money doesn’t come from the federal government by Aug. 9 she’ll have to consider a special session of the Legislature to deal with the budget.
The governor says she’ll consult with legislative leaders to limit a session to a day or two.
Gregoire says the state is facing a projected $3 billion deficit in the next budget and the slow economic recovery is forcing fundamental changes in state operations.
To give the public a say in expected cuts, Gregoire is asking for ideas on a website and holding a series of forums. Meetings were held Monday in Tacoma and Wednesday in Everett. Others are planned Tuesday in Vancouver and next Thursday in Spokane. (AP)
