Late last week Governor Gregoire announced that she would call the Washington Legislature back to Olympia on November 28 for a special session that could last up to thirty days by law.

The Legislature is charged with finding $2 billion in state funding reductions to fill the $1.4 billion gap expected between state revenues and projected state expenses, expected further erosion in revenues in the November 17 forecast, and calls for the state to have some money left in the general fund on July 1, 2013, when it starts the next fiscal biennium.

Legislative leaders and the top budget writers will go over plans with the governor’s staff in the next two months to prepare for the session. Word on the street is that the Governor will release her proposed budget reductions the week of October 24.

Some of the ideas that are likely to emerge in the Governor’s work may be found in state agency submissions to reduce public services and programs in response to the Governor’s request for proposals to reduce budgets by first 5% and then 10%.