Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement Tuesday after the state’s quarterly revenue forecast showed a major drop in projected revenue.
“The latest revenue forecast should be a wake-up call. Slowing growth was predictable, but Democratic budget writers ignored the warnings and plowed ahead with record spending. Now the numbers confirm what we’ve been saying all along: that they have spent us into oblivion. The result is an unsustainable state budget that is wildly out of balance.
“Today’s forecast shows the state can expect about another $900 million less in revenue over the next four years. Combined with other recent revisions, that means Washington is looking at roughly $1.5 billion less in revenue than was assumed in the 2025-27 operating budget.
“And the forecast doesn’t account for potentially larger gaps that could come from current litigation against the state’s new sales tax expansion, additional state employee contracts, and other variables that could add up to a more than $1.5 billion additional budget gap for an actual deficit potentially as high as $2.5 billion.
“Governor Ferguson keeps pointing fingers at Washington, D.C., but forecasters were clear: the shortfall comes from weaker agency revenues, slower retail and construction sales, and a drop in real estate taxes – all driven by harmful state policy passed by the majority. Our fiscal problems long predate anything out of the federal government.
“Despite record revenues and a wave of new taxes, the majority still managed to spend beyond our means. They doubled state spending in just a decade, leaving families and businesses to shoulder higher costs. At the same time, critical programs and services, such as wildfire prevention, foster care, and Medicaid, were cut.
“What’s worse is that all that record spending has done nothing to fix the major issues in our state, including homelessness, the drug crisis, K-12 education, and overall affordability.
“Now, this latest forecast makes it clear Washington is in a precarious position. Reckless spending and massive tax hikes have driven up the cost of living, pushed jobs out of state, and left us with almost no safety net.
“We warned them. They didn’t listen. Now the budget is bleeding red, and working families will pay the price. It’s time to get back to basics and fund the essentials, stop the gimmicks, and put our state back on solid ground.”