The House Appropriation Committee chair’s proposed supplemental operating budget would increase 2023–25 appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $2.196 billion (3.1%). That’s $342.0 million more than the Senate chair’s proposal and $233.4 million more than Gov. Inslee’s proposal. Revised 2023–25 NGFO appropriations under the House chair’s proposal would be $72.000 billion. (I wrote about the Senate chair’s proposal here.)

The proposal would not increase taxes. Legislation assumed in the budget would reduce NGFO revenues by $11.1 million in 2023–25 and $41.6 million in 2025–27. The largest of these bills are HB 1371 (tax preferences for freight railroad infrastructure), HB 1453 (a tax preference for medical cannabis), and HB 2199 (climate commitment act tax exemptions).

The proposal would leave an unrestricted NGFO ending balance of $82 million at the end of 2025–27. Like the Senate chair’s proposal, the House chair would appropriate $21 million from the budget stabilization account (BSA, or the rainy day fund) for fire suppression costs. The BSA balance at the end of 2025–27 would be $2.107 billion. The House chair’s proposal would transfer the balance of the Washington rescue plan transition account (WRPTA, the shadow reserve account created during the pandemic) to the NGFO for general use. Consequently, total reserves in the House proposal would be just $2.189 billion at the end of 2025–27 (5.9% of revenues and other resources).