Fresh from winning re-election in November, Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) challenged lawmakers in the Democratic-held Legislature to step up to the challenge of the nation’s worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and the worst state budget crisis in history.
In her Jan. 14 speech, which she gave on the day of her inauguration for a second term, Gregoire offered her first broad outline of a state-level economic stimulus proposal called “Washington Jobs Now,” an initiative she said would focus on rebuilding roads, bridges and other public works and create 20,000 new jobs over two years.
Gregoire proposed a temporary tax break for businesses and a temporary increase in unemployment benefits — both paid for out of the state’s $4 billion unemployment trust fund.
To balance the books, the governor also suggested major reforms across state government, questioning whether half of the state’s 470 boards and commissions are necessary and suggesting the use of new technology to replace bureaucracy.
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