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More information on the tax increases in the Appropriations Chair's proposed budget

When I wrote yesterday about the Appropriations Chair's supplemental budget proposal, the tax increases included in the proposal had not been identified. More details are available now. The increases will be considered as HB 2996. The bill would increase revenues in 2015-17 by $119.5 million. According to the House Democrats, six tax preferences would be […]

Appropriations Chair's supplemental operating budget proposal would increase spending by $466 million

House Appropriations Chair Hans Dunshee has released his 2016 supplemental operating budget proposal. It would increase 2015-17 near general fund-state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) spending by $466 million. Some of the major spending items include $99 million for recruitment and retention of public school staff (including increasing the beginning teacher salary to $40,000), $49 million […]

How will the revenue and caseload forecasts affect the supplemental budget?

As Kriss wrote yesterday, a new revenue forecast has been approved. This forecast will inform the 2016 supplemental budget. On a near general fund-state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) basis, estimated revenues for the current biennium are $37.837 billion — a decrease of $78.2 million from the Nov. 2015 forecast (see page 28 here). The Office […]

Revenue forecast reduced

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council met this morning in Olympia to issue its quarterly update to the state revenue forecast. For the current 2015–17 biennium, the forecast of general fund state revenues was reduced by $67 million to $37.137 billion, while for the 2017–19 biennium the forecast was reduced by $442 million to $40.125 billion. […]

January 11 – February 10 state revenue collections were $23.7 million greater than forecast

This afternoon the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council issued its monthly Economic and Revenue Update. Here is the key news on revenue: The Major General Fund-State revenue collections for the January 11 – February 10, 2016 collection period came in $23.7 million (1.5%) above the November forecast. During the period, there was a $27.9 million […]

A $662,000 subsidy for Franklin County?

More details are emerging in the ongoing Benton-Franklin joint offices saga. At first, the break-up of some of the counties' joint efforts was attributed to growth and communications issues. Then some Benton County commissioners said that Benton is "bearing more than its share of the costs." Now, according to the Tri-City Herald, Benton County has […]

The latest on McCleary & K-12 education funding

You practically need a flow chart these days to keep track of what's happening on McCleary (the 2012 state Supreme Court ruling – which the Legislature is in the midst of complying with – that said the state is unconstitutionally not paying the full cost of basic education). The big remaining task of the state is […]

New brief: Gov. Inslee’s Teacher Shortage Proposal: Good Policy, Bad Timing?

When Gov. Inslee proposed his 2016 supplemental budget, he also proposed a teacher recruitment and retention plan. We take a look at it in a new policy brief: Gov. Inslee’s Teacher Shortage Proposal: Good Policy, Bad Timing? Briefly: Gov. Inslee proposes increasing salaries for teachers and other school staff. Newer teachers would get the largest […]

Four-year outlook shows governor's budget in the red by over $700 million in 2017-19

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council has released its four-year budget outlook based on Gov. Inslee's proposed 2016 supplemental operating budget. (We wrote about his proposal here.) The outlook shows that although the unrestricted ending fund balance in 2015-17 is positive ($264 million), the unrestricted ending fund balance in 2017-19 is negative $714 million. One […]

InFocus Podcast: Bad news for I-1366, plus a new state employment report