Today we published a policy brief on the special session that took place on Saturday.  As discussed in the brief, legislators made good headway in addressing the $1.1 billion 2009-11 budget shortfall:  They reduced it by $588 million.

The $588 million comes in the form of budget reductions ($490.4 million), fund transfers ($54 million), a tax penalty and interest waiver ($24.4 million) and budget driven revenue ($19.5 million).

Of the budget reductions, 53 percent are to Public Schools, 16 percent to Other Human Services (including Corrections and the Basic Health Plan), 15 percent to the Department of Social and Health Services, and 10 percent to Higher Education.

Unfortunately, the cuts will not stop here.  Not only do legislators still need to make up the remainder of the 2009-11 shortfall, they must also address the 2011-13 shortfall.  On that we will have more later this week, after the Governor releases her budget.