WHEREAS, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article II, Section 12 (Amendment 68) and Article III, Section 7 of the Washington State Constitution, I convened the Washington State Legislature in Special Session in the Capitol at Olympia on Monday, March 15, 2010, for the purpose of enacting legislation with respect to biennial operating and capital budgets and bills necessary to implement those budgets; and

WHEREAS, the Washington State Legislature enacted legislation with respect to biennial operating and capital budgets and bills necessary to implement those budgets and the 2010 1st Special Session adjourned on April 12, 2010; and

WHEREAS, after the adjournment of the 2010 1st Special Session, the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council adopted a September 2010 official state economic and revenue forecast that reduced the revenue forecasted to be collected in the 2009-11 biennium due to a slowdown in economic activity; and

WHEREAS, on September 13, 2010, I signed Executive Order 10-04 "Ordering Expenditure Reductions in Allotments of State General Fund Appropriations" institution across-the-board reductions of allotments of appropriations to avoid a projected cash deficit at the end of the fiscal period; and

WHEREAS, the Economic and Revenue forecast Council has adopted a November 2010 official state economic and revenue forecast that has further lowered the revenue forecasted to be collected this biennium due to slower than anticipated economic recovery and as a result of the adopted of Initiative 1107; and

WHEREAS, legislative action is needed to avoid a deficit in the State General Fund at the end of the current fiscal period on June 30, 2011; and

WHEREAS, time is of the essence to implement budget reductions and mitigate the severity of impacts of the revenue downturns on programs and benefits that are identified as the highest priorities;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Christine O. Gregoire, Governor of the state of Washington, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article II, Section 12 (Amendment 68) and Article III, Section 7 of the Washington State Constitution, do hereby convene the Washington State Legislature in Special Session in the Capitol at Olympia on Saturday, December 11, 2010, at 9 a.m., for the purpose of enacting legislation to reduce the projected deficit in the State General Fund for the current fiscal period.

Signed and sealed with the official seal of the state of Washington this 9th day of December, A.D., Two Thousand and Ten at Olympia, Washington.

	By:
	Christine O. Gregoire Governor
BY THE GOVERNOR: Steve Excell
[Assistant] Secretary of State

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