VANCOUVER, Wash. — Former Washington Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire delivered sharp criticism of the state’s fiscal management during the Association of Washington Business 2026 Summit in Vancouver earlier this month.
Gregoire, who now serves as CEO of Challenge Seattle, a coalition of business leaders addressing regional issues, said the state budget has ballooned dramatically since her tenure ended.
“I left office with a budget of 33 billion, and the budget today is 80 billion. I think that’s a little bit too much of a growth. And yet how we find ourselves at the end of every legislative session now is in the hole and projected to be in the hole,” Gregoire said during her summit appearance…