State officials are breathing a sigh of relief, after April tax receipts – the biggest month of the year – came in $61.5 million above expectations. That puts the state’s cumulative receipts about $88 million over projections for the year – and makes the state that much more likely to be able to balance its budget in future years as a temporary sales tax hike expires and drains $180 million a year form the state budget. Gov. Dirk Kempthorne said, “Although these are preliminary numbers, they are nothing short of spectacular.” He called the news “the strongest sign to date of a recovering economy.”

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