New Brief: Initiatives and Referenda at the Local Level
Today we published a new brief on the local initiative and referendum process in Washington. Washington has 281 cities and 39 counties. Depending on the type of city or county, residents may or may not have the powers of initiative and referendum locally–in 59 cities and six counties, they do.
August 18 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Workers' Compensation Reforms in Other States
Apparently Washington wasn’t the only state to make significant changes to its workers’ compensation system this year. An article in Stateline today discusses cost-cutting measures that were enacted in several states. The article also includes a handy sidebar with the key changes made in Montana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Washington, Kansas, and North Carolina. Like Washington, Montana […]
June 23 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Budget Gimmicks
Stateline has a handy article today on common budget gimmicks used by the states, with copious examples. Not surprisingly, many of these will be familiar to Washington budget-watchers: Putting off payments Accelerating revenue Using temporary money for recurring expenses Counting on savings that aren't likely to materialize Counting on revenue that isn't likely to materialize […]
June 08 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Policy Brief: New Reforms to Workers' Compensation
Our wrap-up of the changes made this legislative session to the workers’ compensation system is now posted. It follows several other reports on the subject and the need for reform: Employment Cost Drivers in Washington State, The Time Has Come to Fix Workers’ Compensation, and Mainstreaming Workers’ Compensation. In these reports, we have consistently called […]
June 06 , 2011 - Emily Makings
State Agency Reorganizations
Stateline has an article today about various efforts to reorganize state agencies, looking specifically at Kansas, Michigan, and Washington. The section on Washington addresses the consolidation of certain back-office functions that passed as part of the budget this year: The proposal is expected to save the state $18 million and eliminate 95 full-time employees. Stan […]
May 27 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Strassel on the Budget
The state legislature has finished work on the 2011-13 budget, but the federal government is still in budget mode. In her column this week, Kimberley Strassel (our annual dinner speaker this year) asks who is winning the budget war: By refusing to blink, Republicans keep forcing Democrats to acknowledge a very simple political reality: Voters […]
May 24 , 2011 - Emily Makings
The 2011-13 Budget Deal
The 2011-13 budget deal announced today includes NGFS+ expenditures of $32.203 billion. That's $237.1 million less than in the House-passed budget, and $77.0 million more than the Senate-passed budget. According to the budget documents, the proposal includes $4.1 billion in spending reductions, $459 million in transfers to the general fund, $57 million in budget driven […]
May 12 , 2011 - Emily Makings
The Costliness of Washington's Workers' Compensation System
As the debate over workers’ compensation reform continues, a questionable number keeps popping up related to the costs of Washington’s system compared to other states. As we have consistently argued (see here, here, and here), the workers’ compensation system in Washington must be reformed. Washington has the nation’s second highest benefits per covered worker ($778.36 […]
May 11 , 2011 - Emily Makings
State Agency Consolidations Under Consideration
Before the legislative session began this year, Governor Gregoire made several suggestions to reorganize and consolidate state agencies. She recommended that the state consolidate education agencies, natural resource agencies and central services; centralize IT by creating the Consolidated Technology Services agency; create an Office of Civil Rights; eliminate 36 boards and commissions; and consolidate the […]
May 10 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Thrive Washington on Economic Development
The latest Thrive Washington paper is now available. Economic Development: Moving Washington State Forward Into Recovery covers education and business climate, as well as more direct economic development policies. From the conclusion: Public and private groups have made proposals that would enhance the education of our students to ensure they are prepared to enter the […]