It’s an odd circumstance when a $1 billion deficit doesn’t seem so bad. The state’s Independent Fiscal Office released a study that estimates that state lawmakers will need to come up with a billion dollars to balance next year’s budget (compared to the $2.2 billion shortfall they needed to generate to balance the current budget). Sadly, according to the IFO, the deficit number could be back in the $2 billion range within the next few years if nothing changes from a revenue perspective.