Lead Appropriations Republican warns of $1 billion projected shortfall

House Republican Appropriations Lead John "Jack" Ducharme (R-Madison) was on WVOM today warning of a forecasted $1 billion budget shortfall in 2026/2027.

The Department of Administrative and Financial Services' Bureau of the Budget recently released its Four-Year Revenue and Expenditure Forecast, stating:

"The forecasts of revenues, appropriations and allocations contained in this report, as constructed under current law and current trends, result in a projected General Fund structural gap (revenues less than allocations) for the 2026-2027 biennium of $636,710,439 and a projected Highway Fund structural gap (revenues less than allocations) for the 2026-2027 biennium of $312,539,996."

The shortfall will have to be addressed by Governor Mills and the incoming 132nd Legislature since the 2026/2027 budget set in 2025.

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https://www.wvomfm.com/episode/rewind-10-03-st-rep-jack-ducharme-1500