Last week Governor Gregoire released a detailed list of proposed reductions for state spending in order to address the state’s $2.0 billion budget shortfall. Included in the outline is a 15 percent state funding cut to higher education, including the University of Washington. We expect that the Governor will release a full supplemental budget in November following the November 17 revenue forecast. The cuts outlined are alarming; however, they are a starting point for a final budget and the process of writing a budget is in the very beginning stages. More information can be found here.
To read President Michael Young’s statement regarding Governor Gregoire’s budget announcement.