Members of Council 2 will be watching the state legislative session with special interest when it starts in about a month.

The reason: The decisions made there could put their wages, benefits and jobs on the line.

The problem is that the state is running a huge deficit amounting to $2.5 billion on its $13 billion budget.

That's a 20 percent shortfall.

Unlike the average wage earner or the federal government, the state cannot borrow money to make up the difference. By law, the state budget has to balance. Something has to give.

"The state faces massive cuts in people, programs and services," says Pat Thompson, Council 2 Legislation/Political Action Director.

"It will no doubt have an effect on state funding for local governments as well."

Council 2 officials will be lobbying hard throughout the 110-day session to lessen the impacts on members.

"We'll look for alternatives to cutting people and programs," says Thompson.

The state cannot look to the rainy day fund to help it out. It was depleted to keep the state afloat and counter the losses incurred as a result of the steep cutbacks incurred as a result of initiatives 695 and 747.

Initiative 695, approved by voters in 1999, replaced the state's motor vehicle excise tax with a $30 base fee for all vehicles.

I-747, approved in November last year, caps property taxes at 1 percent instead of the previous 6 percent limit.