Gregoire's All-Cuts Budget
Josh is going to file a longer report from Olympia on Gov. Gregoire's all-cuts budget shortly. Meanwhile, here's a partial list of what the governor's budget (which is, as Josh noted in this morning's Morning Fizz, geared toward making the case for a tax increase) would eliminate:
Basic Health, which provides affordable health insurance to 65,000 people.
General Assistance for the Unemployable, which provides help to people who are unable to work because of disability.
Health insurance coverage for 16,000 lower income children.
Benefits for Medicaid clients including vision, podiatry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, prescription drug assistance for elderly patients, hospice care, dental, and maternity support.
Funding to send more than 1,500 3-year-olds to preschool.
State support for all-day kindergarten in high-poverty areas.
Class size reduction efforts.
A program that equalizes school funding between wealthy and poor school districts.
Tuition assistance for over 12,000 lower-income students.
More info at Schmudget and The Capitol Record.