Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is facing criticism after vetoing $500,000 in funding aimed at combating organized retail crime, a move that comes as the state continues to grapple with some of the highest theft rates in the nation.
Ferguson issued the veto just before signing the state’s supplemental operating budget, removing funding that lawmakers had proposed to continue efforts targeting retail theft. He explained that state agencies are already being asked to do more with less after taking significant budget cuts last legislative session, and this year they are facing another $1 billion in reductions.
“While we face this challenging situation, consequently, we have limited ability to absorb additional
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