Emily Makings

Affordable Care Act's employer mandate delayed by a year

The Department of the Treasury announced today that it will delay implementation of the employer mandate in the Affordable Care Act: First, it will allow us to consider ways to simplify the new reporting requirements consistent with the law.  Second, it will provide time to adapt health coverage and reporting systems while employers are moving […]

Happy Fiscal New Year!

Today is the first day of fiscal year 2014 for Washington state, and it’s also the first day of the 2013-15 biennium. The legislature finally adjourned over the weekend, and Gov. Inslee signed the 2013-15 operating budget (with some vetoes) yesterday.

2013-15 budget compromise increases spending by $2.4 billion, avoids many of the proposed tax increases

The details of the 2013-15 budget compromise have been released. As proposed, near general fund-state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) spending would increase by $2.378 billion over 2011-13, to $33.627 billion. Reserves (including the budget stabilization account) would total $630 million. Importantly, the proposal would largely not make the tax increases proposed by the House Finance […]

DC audit of paid sick leave doesn't tell much about effects on business

Last week, the Economic Opportunity Institute and PubliCola linked to an audit of the DC Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008. Both posts say that the audit shows the “sky isn’t falling,” but it doesn’t actually show much at all. The audit’s look at paid sick leave’s effect on business is secondary to […]

Increase in state average wage will impact unemployment insurance and workers' comp

Today the Employment Security Department announced that Washington’s average annual wage was $51,595 in 2012. That’s up from $49,894 in 2011. Both unemployment insurance (UI) and workers’ compensation benefits are calculated using the average annual wage. As the announcement notes, The minimum weekly unemployment benefit, calculated at 15 percent of the average weekly wage, will […]

Washington may be agreed on Medicaid expansion, but not all states see the light

One area of agreement in the 2013-15 budget proposals is Medicaid expansion under the federal Affordable Care Act. Both the House and Senate assume state savings of about $318 million from expansion. Despite the promise of such savings, many states have rejected expansion or are still wrestling with the decision. According to the Kaiser Family […]

Senate increases spending in 2013-15 budget passed Saturday

On Thursday, the House passed a 2013-15 budget (ESHB 1057), and over the weekend, the Senate passed one as well (ESSB 5034). The House version would spend $322.2 million more than the Senate in terms of near general fund-state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+). The House would leave $593.7 million in total reserves, and the Senate […]

New House budget would still spend much more than the Senate on non-education

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee passed the budget proposed by Democrats. As passed, it would spend $525,000 more than proposed, or a total of $2.454 billion more than in 2011-13 (near general fund-state plus opportunity pathways, or NGFS+). After the House and Senate passed different versions of a 2013-15 budget, I wrote about the divergence […]

Public pension gain sharing and COLA cases will be heard together

According to the Department of Retirement Systems, The Washington State Supreme Court has agreed to accept direct review of litigation over discontinuation of annual benefit increases for retirees from two of the state’s older pension plans — and will hear that case in conjunction with arguments over a separate lawsuit related to gain sharing and […]

New action on the 2013-15 budget front

Finally we have movement in the 2013-15 budget process. The House Democrats’ have released a new proposal, which Rep. Pat Sullivan called a “substantial compromise.” The proposal would increase near general fund-state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) spending by $2.453 billion over 2011-13 and leave $606 million in reserves. It does not tap the budget stabilization […]