Evergreen Reporter

The Washington Economic and Revenue Forecast Council predicted Washington state could potentially lose up to $7 billion in state revenue from now until 2023 in an unofficial forecast. 

While the forecast remain unofficial, the council said the state could lose $3.8 billion in revenue during the current budget cycle, according to the Seattle Times. The remaining $3.27 billion would be shared off between 2021 and 2023's budgets.

If the forecast does prove to be accurate, it would mean budget cuts are expected in Washington's social service programs, parks, schools and prisons, according to the Seattle Times.

“I think we all thought that the problem was going to be somewhere in this range,” David Schumacher, director of the state Office of Financial Management, told the Seattle Times.

Schumacher said the official budget forecast will be made in June, which will “set us up for January, where we have even more information," according to the Seattle Times.

While Schumacher may believe that more time is needed to see the full scope of the issue, many state Republicans have been critical of Gov. Jay Inslee's stay-at-home order.

 “The enormous damage being done by the stay-home order to the state budget cannot be overlooked,” GOP Senate Minority Leader Mark Schoesler told the Seattle Times. “There will be a direct correlation between the length and extent of the governor’s shutdown and the size of the cuts he will likely have to propose later this year to a budget that goes mostly to educate our children and support social services, including programs for people with developmental disabilities, seniors, foster families and people experiencing homelessness.”

Early last month, Inslee vetoed $445 million in spending that would have taken place through 2023. This money would have taken away from the current budget, as well as the planned bugets for the coming years, according to the Seattle Times.

Inslee also announced that he would be forming three advisory groups, according to the Seattle Times. These groups will help guide the state's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.