WA Plans Government Shutdown Over Budget Stalemate

Residents should be so lucky

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state agencies are working to identify which areas of government will need to cease operations if the Legislature fails to pass a budget over the next 18 days.

Gov. Jay Inslee held a Cabinet meeting Wednesday night to discuss plans for what would happen after June 30, when the current budget cycle comes to an end. While the governor's aides haven't concluded which areas would need to shut down, they said potentially thousands of state employees could begin getting notifications about the prospect of temporary layoffs as early as next week.