Facing a growing fiscal threat posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, Gov. Jay Inslee used his line-item veto authority today to trim $235 million from the 2020 supplemental operating budget the Legislature approved last month. The vetoes will reduce spending another $210 million in the state’s next two-year budget.

“These are difficult and challenging times and we must make difficult and challenging choices. Under normal circumstances, I would not veto bills and budget items that are good policy and smart investments for the state. As everyone knows, these are not normal times. ” Inslee said. “As we address the health crisis, we must also look ahead to ease as much fiscal pain as we can. It is all but certain that we will need to make adjustments to our next budget cycle and we must get started now.”

Read the rest of the story on Gov. Inslee's Medium page.

2020 supplemental operating budget

• Partial veto letter (SB 6168), April 3, 2020
• Operating budget vetoes, April 3, 2020
• ESSB 6168 as passed Legislature, March 12, 2020
• Central service charges by agency

2020 supplemental transportation budget

• Partial veto letter (HB 2322), March 31, 2020
• ESHB 2322 as passed Legislature, March 12, 2020

2020 supplemental capital budget

• ESSB 6248 as passed Legislature, March 12, 2020

Gov. Jay Inslee signs the 2020 supplemental operating budget, April 3, 2020. (Office of the Governor)