Emily Makings

New special report: Economic Impact of Data Centers on Central Washington

Our latest report is on the Economic Impact of Data Centers on Central Washington. Briefly, World class industries have located in Central Washington, providing stable, diversified employment and expanded tax bases for local governments. The data center industry is among the notable additions to Central Washington’s resurgent economy. Data centers have benefitted Central Washington in […]

Special Report: Initiative 522: Costly, Flawed and Ill-Conceived

This fall Washington residents will vote on Initiative 522, which would require foods offered for retail sale in the state to be labeled if they are genetically engineered. In a special report, we assess the economic impact of I-522 on Washington’s consumers, taxpayers and Washington’s agricultural economy. Here is the executive summary, and here is […]

Culture, railroads, and GE labeling

The Lexington column in this week’s Economist magazine is about the agricultural (emphasis on cultural) differences of the U.S. and Europe, and it is worth reading — especially as Washington voters will decide in November whether to follow the European Union’s lead and require labeling of genetically engineered foods. Rivals in other lands have sniffy […]

Goethe on trade and transportation

In Export Activity Boosts Washington’s Economy, the second part of our series Trade and Transportation, we look at export activity and the ports. There is stiff competition among ports for export business. Traditionally, Washington’s biggest competitors have been other ports on the U.S. west coast. . . . Washington’s ports face additional competition on the […]

WA had the nation's highest workers' comp benefits paid in 2011

Today the National Academy of Social Insurance released Workers’ Compensation: Benefits, Coverage, and Costs, 2011. (This annual report has a two year data lag.) The report shows that in 2011, Washington still had the nation’s highest workers’ compensation benefits paid, at $835.40 $855.78 per covered worker. Alaska followed with $782.99 per covered worker. In terms […]

Special report: Proposition 1 and the "Living Wage Movement" in SeaTac: Increasing Unemployment, Decreasing Opportunity

A proposal on the November ballot in SeaTac would establish a $15 minimum wage and paid sick leave benefits, and impose restrictions on employers’ labor practices. In a new special report, we consider the economic effects of Proposition 1. Our five main findings are: Approximately 5 percent of low wage jobs will be lost. Another […]

Education reforms from the 2013 legislative sessions

To be sure, the main education headline from the legislative sessions this year was that about $1 billion extra will be spent on K-12 education in 2013-15. A number of reform bills were also enacted, though, including: E2SSB 5329 establishes a process “to assign responsibility to the superintendent of public instruction to intervene in persistently […]

New brief: Trade-Dependent Washington Relies on Rail

In a new policy brief, Trade-Dependent Washington Relies on Rail, we take a look at the rail system in Washington, including funding sources and traffic estimates. As we conclude, Our state’s ability to maintain its nation-leading position as a hub for domestic and international trade depends on speedy, safe, and reliable transportation connections. Privately-owned freight […]

2013 action on transportation

In May, a 2013–15 transportation appropriations bill, ESSB 5024, was enacted. According to the House Office of Program Research, the budget includes “a continuation of budgetary activity but no significant new transportation projects.” Considering all fund sources, it is an $8.7 billion budget ($5.2 billion of which is for capital projects). Some of the projects […]

An October court date for pension policy

Oral arguments in the public pension gain sharing and automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) cases will be heard October 24 of this year. (Mark your calendars!) In the meantime, a few recent publications from the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) may be of interest. First, last month, CRR released a report on the funded status of […]