(Reuters) ? Washington state Governor Christine Gregoire told state agencies on Friday to reduce their use of cellular phones and the number of cars in their vehicle fleets to help cut the state's expenses.
Gregoire's directive comes as the legislature prepares for a special session later this month to balance the state's books, which she has warned lawmakers will require more painful spending cuts.
"In these difficult budget times, it is more important than ever for state government to find ways to perform services and manage assets more efficiently," Gregoire, a Democrat, said in her directive to state agencies.
Gregoire in September said she would call lawmakers into a special session this month to tackle a new state budget shortfall after state officials revised their September general fund revenue estimate for their state's 2011-13 budget cycle down by more than $1.4 billion from their June forecast.
Their next revenue forecast scheduled for this month is expected to show further weakness.
Last month Gregoire told lawmakers to expect a budget plan from her office that will propose eliminating the state's Basic Health Plan for 35,000 low-income individuals among other measures to cut spending by $2 billion on top of $10 billion in spending cuts over the last three years.
U.S. state governments have been slashing their spending in response to steep drops in revenue due to the housing downturn, recession, high unemployment and cautious consumers.
(Reporting by Jim Christie)
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