OLYMPIA — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson proposed $3.9 billion in spending cuts, saying he went over the state budget and sometimes thought, “Hey, come on. What are we doing here?”

Ferguson, a Democrat, said Feb. 27 his cuts wouldn’t hurt education, public safety or the social safety net and that he might recommend more to fill a $15 billion deficit.

Some reductions were tough, like cuts to food banks, he said. But he said he found savings by trimming travel, canceling studies and task forces, and halting marketing.

“Many of these reductions we should be making even if we are not facing a budget shortfall,” said Ferguson, on his 43rd day in office.

Ferguson inherited the deficit from former Gov. Jay Inslee, who before leaving office recommended $3 billion in cuts. Combined, the Ferguson-Inslee cuts potentially cut the deficit to $8 billion.

Inslee proposed balancing the budget with a 1% tax on wealth over $100 million. Ferguson’s cuts include $23 million Inslee set aside to administer the tax.

Ferguson didn’t rule out eventually supporting tax increases, but said he’s been focused on cutting the budget first. “We’re not going to tax our way out of this thing. Not going to happen,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said when the time comes he will look back at how the state built such a big deficit even though the economy isn’t in a recession.

“We must do a better job of budgeting within our means,” he said. “I do not plan on doing this every two years.”

If Ferguson decides to oppose higher taxes, he will be at odds with his fellow Democrats, who control the Senate and House.

Lawmakers must consider “progressive revenue options,” Ways and Means Committee Chairwoman June Robinson, D-Everett, said in a statement after Ferguson released his cuts.

House Democrats said on their website a budget without raising taxes would be “catastrophic.”

Here are some of the cuts proposed by Ferguson:

• A $52 million cut to food banks. The state would still spend $82 million on food assistance, or almost eight times as much as it spent pre-COVID. The federal government gave the state a massive amount of money during the pandemic. When the federal funds went away, the state kept spending at the higher level. “We cannot backfill all those federal funds for that program,” Ferguson said.

• $358,000 by eliminating a program in the state Department of Agriculture to promote Washington-grown farm products.

• $258,000 by not filling the vacant position of equity adviser in the agriculture department’s diversity, equity and inclusion unit.

• $365,000 by not funding a proposed tribal liaison position with the State Conservation Commission.

• $816,000 by canceling a study on the potential for offshore wind projects and another $731,000 by not forming a tribal-state panel to study the ecological impacts of offshore wind projects.

• Taking back $1.1 million from the Forest Practices Board for writing rules. “It actually does not need to do rule making at the moment,” Ferguson said.

• The Department of Ecology and State Parks can save $2.4 million over four years by sharing offices. “Zero impact to public services. That’s just smart government,” Ferguson said.