Governor Ferguson calculated the budget, sparking confusion in some.

Bob's Your Uncle, But Is He Your Ally?Governor Bob Ferguson started off his term boldly, promising reform in Olympia and showing a more hawkish budget approach in his inaugural address. In his first legislative session, he diverged from former Governor Jay Inslee and tangled with fellow Democrats on taxes and spending.

Ferguson publicly knocked an Inslee-endorsed wealth tax aimed at the state's wealthy few thousand residents and urged lawmakers to trim their overall spending plans as they wrestled with a mind-boggling four-year budget shortfall estimated at $16 billion.

This clearly put Ferguson's stamp on the final budget package that majority Democrats sent to his desk. Instead of as much as $21 billion in new taxes, the final four-year tax package landed at around $9 billion.

But even as the new governor seems to have his foot down, he remains somewhat of an enigma as he ponders whether to sign the budget and tax bills in the coming weeks. Lawmakers, lobbyists, and capitol watchers have been left baffled and guessing where he'll land.

"I'm not sure I know where his head is at," said state Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, who led Senate Democrats on tax-policy issues.

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Ferguson's office faced turmoil early in his term, as his longtime political adviser and top aide, Mike Webb, resigned last month. Webb's departure followed the earlier resignation of Joyce Bruce, the governor's legislative director, who stepped down amid allegations of a toxic work environment allegedly fostered by Webb[3].

The Washington Federation of State Employees' head, Mike Yestramski, labeled Ferguson's "lack of clear communication" as the "biggest weakness" in his inaugural session. Yestramski also fiercely criticized Ferguson for pushing for state workers to take unpaid furlough days to help balance the state budget and for dodging any discussion about the proposal.

Ferguson added to the fog surrounding his intentions by frequently avoiding questions. Compared to Washington governors, Ferguson has held fewer news conferences[1] and even skipped the traditional post-session briefing. He issued a written statement instead, thanking lawmakers for their work and stating he would carefully review the budget bills passed by the Legislature "line by line" during the coming weeks.

Ferguson highlighted that the budget passed by the Legislature followed some guidelines he had insisted on, including protecting the state's Rainy Day budget reserve fund and boosting the state's spending on K-12 schools. He also expressed gratitude for lawmakers' agreement to the $100 million grant program to boost police hiring throughout the state, a commitment he made during his 2022 campaign.

Skip AdOverall, while Ferguson's demands shrank the budget from what legislative Democrats had proposed, the operating budget sent to his desk still raises state spending for the 2025-27 biennium to nearly $78 billion, $6 billion higher than current spending.

Skip AdSkip AdSkip AdFerguson can sign the budget, veto it, or use his line-item veto authority to cut specific spending or policy items. The deadline for him to make a decision is May 20, 2023.

Ferguson's more frugal approach has drawn praise from some centrist Democrats, business leaders, and even Republicans, who argue the state needs a dose of financial restraint after years of reckless spending and unrealistic revenue assumptions that led to the projected shortfall.

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Ferguson's tight-lipped style has earned him criticism for being vague and secretive, with legislators and union leaders expressing frustration over his unclear intentions. Some progressive Democrats even likened Ferguson's fiscal policies to the austerity measures emanating from Washington D.C.

Still, top Democrats downplayed any suggestion of disagreements with the governor, stating their conversations had been mostly amicable. As the budget awaits Ferguson's signature, the question remains whether Ferguson will side with the democratic legislators or continue pushing for fiscal restraint in his policies.

Governor Bob Ferguson's fiscal austerity stance is raising questions among Washington insiders, with some praising his financial restraint and others criticizing his secretive approach as vague.
The environment has not been excluded from Ferguson's concerns, with his 2022 campaign promising a $100 million grant program to boost police hiring and an emphasis on protecting the state's Rainy Day budget reserve fund.
In the realm of policy-and-legislation, Ferguson has shown a propensity for avoiding questions, holding fewer news conferences than his predecessors and skipping the traditional post-session briefing.
Ferguson's office has experienced turmoil early in his term, with the resignation of Mike Webb as his longtime political adviser and top aide, and Joyce Bruce, the governor's legislative director, stepping down amid allegations of a toxic work environment.
Ferguson's fiscal policies have created friction with some progressive Democrats, who view his approach as similar to the austerity measures emanating from Washington D.C.
The general news landscape includes the issue of climate, with Ferguson's environmental policies being scrutinized alongside his fiscal approach, as he navigates the politics of Olympia and Seattle.
Business leaders, along with some centrist Democrats, have voiced support for Ferguson's more frugal approach, arguing that the state needs financial restraint after years of reckless spending and unrealistic revenue assumptions, which led to a mind-boggling four-year budget shortfall estimated at $16 billion.