Emily Makings

House passes a 2015-17 budget that would spend $38.962 billion

Yesterday the House passed a 2015-17 budget. Amendments increased NGFS+ spending over that approved by the House appropriations committee by $2.6 million, to $38.962 billion. Of the $2.6 million increase, $1.0 million is for project-based math and science. (According to the fiscal.wa.gov description: “Funding is provided for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction […]

Senate W&M increases proposed spending by $6.7 million

The two chambers are already moving closer together on the 2015-17 budget, if only by inches. Initially, the proposals’ expenditures were $1.017 billion apart. As I wrote yesterday, the House appropriations committee passed its proposal on Tuesday. Amendments reduced NGFS+ spending by $7.9 million. Yesterday the Senate ways and means committee passed its proposal. Amendments […]

House appropriations reduces spending in its budget proposal by $7.9 million

Yesterday the House appropriations committee amended and approved the chair’s 2015-17 budget proposal. Amendments reduced the proposed spending by $7.9 million, to a total of $38.959 billion NGFS+. The Senate ways and means committee is considering its chair’s proposal today. Below is a chart comparing the policy changes that are made by the Senate, as […]

Policy Today: House Appropriations Chair's 2015-17 Budget Proposal

    In our latest episode of Policy Today, Lew, Kriss and I talk about the 2015-17 budget proposed by the House Appropriations chair. To subscribe to our podcasts, go here.

In Focus this week: Exchange enrollment, wage inequality, and tipping

Senate W&M chair proposes "no new taxes" budget

Following Friday’s 2015-17 budget proposal from the House Appropriations chair, today the Senate Ways and Means Committee chair made his proposal. Under the proposal, 2015-17 near general fund-state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) spending would total $38.0 billion. (This is about $1.0 billion less than in the House proposal.) Some policy highlights: $1.3 billion for basic […]

Moving away from tipping in Seattle

Seattle’s new minimum wage ordinance takes effect on Wednesday. From the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog: Most Capitol Hill food and drink owners will only be required to raise employee wages by less than a dollar if they aren’t already making $11 an hour plus tips. But over time, the phased in wage hike could bring about fundamental changes to […]

House Democrats present a $5.1 billion budget problem for 2015-17

It is budget season in the state Legislature. Today House Democrats released their proposal for 2015-17. (Details here.) Total spending for 2015-17 would be $39.0 billion. (As originally enacted, expenditures totaled $33.8 billion for 2013-15.) The proposal would increase policy level spending by $2.4 billion near general fund-state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+). Given those increases […]

Final enrollment numbers from the Exchange, and national enrollment issues

I’ve noted that the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) did not meet its enrollment goals for the open enrollment period that ended in February. Yesterday the HBE released final enrollment numbers through March 9. Some highlights and comments: A total of 158,302 either newly enrolled or renewed their coverage in qualified (private) health plans (QHP). […]

Minimum wage links

The University of Washington won’t be complying with Seattle’s new minimum wage ordinance, at least to begin with: But whether a city can set wages for the UW, the state community colleges, Seattle Public Schools, King County, the Port of Seattle and other public entities is still up for debate. Some of those agencies have […]