OLYMPIA, WA – Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson acknowledges the challenges that he and state lawmakers face regarding the 2026 supplemental budget due to slowing revenue growth, increased costs and reductions in federal funding.
“The revenue forecast that we received in June and more recently last month shows a shortfall of close to $2 billion for the next legislative session,” Ferguson said in responding to a question from The Center Square at his Thursday announcement from Enumclaw about the Friday reopening of the White River Bridge on State Route 410. “We have one more revenue forecast in December that I’ll get before I propose my supplemental budget.”
Ferguson said the coming cuts from the federal government will also impact Washington’s challenging budget situation.
“We have from the [federal] government dramatic cuts to Medicaid. That’s about $3 billion a year to SNAP benefits and others,” the governor said. “So, there’s huge challenges for us as a state.”
As previously reported by The Center Square, Republicans fired back at Ferguson for blaming the Trump administration for Medicaid funding cuts, stating that it was actually the last state budget the governor signed that reduced the funding…