OLYMPIA — New numbers shows that the state’s projected budget deficit has grown by $300 million.
The numbers released Thursday during a Washington State Caseload Forecast Council briefing show that the recent hit is primarily because Medicaid services are being more heavily used than forecasters had projected.
That means lawmakers are facing a roughly $1.3 billion budget shortfall, not counting additional money needed for a court-ordered requirement that they increase funding to basic education. The state’s revenue forecast, due next Wednesday, has lawmakers bracing for even more bad news in the midst of the 105-day legislative session.
