Gregoire budget coming out early - about Dec. 7-8

That's the word from the Office of Financial Management late today. Consider the two-week speed up another sign that yesterday's revenue forecast is hastening the governor's response to an ever-growing budget shortfall.

Gov. Chris Gregoire will unveil her supplemental spending plan the week of Dec. 7, OFM spokeswoman Kate Lykins-Brown confirmed.

The shortfall grew to $2.6 billion this week after revenue forecaster Arun Raha predicted revenues through June 30, 2011, to be $760 million less than he predicted in September. The total revenue fall-off since February 2008 is about $5.3 billion, according to Raha.

Gregoire and majority Democrats have signaled they are willing to look at new revenues and taxes to blunt the depth of cuts.