Blog

May 11–June10 state revenue collections were $3.2 million less than forecasted

This afternoon the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council issued its monthly Economic and Revenue Update. Here are the key bullets on revenue from the summary: Major General Fund-State revenue collections for the May 11 – June 10, 2015 collection period were $3.2 million (0.2%) lower than the June forecast. During the collection period, there was […]

How does the Senate budget and tuition policy affect higher ed institutions?

As we wrote in College Affordability, Two Ways, the Senate 2015-17 operating budget proposal assumes enactment of ESSB 5954, the College Affordability Program. Under this program, resident undergraduate tuition would be reduced, and the bill explicitly states (see section 2) that the Legislature “shall appropriate” to the institutions in 2015-17 and beyond amounts that are […]

Policy Today: Capital budget

New brief: The 2015-17 Budget Undercard: Capital Appropriations

We take a look at the House and Senate capital budget proposals in a new policy brief. Briefly: The House and Senate have both passed 2015–17 capital budgets, but a final version has not yet been agreed to. The House would appropriate $3.769 billion. The Senate would appropriate $3.623 billion. Both chambers would reduce 2013–15 […]

InFocus: National employment, state budget, and star scientists

Getting closer to an operating budget resolution

On Friday Senate and House budget negotiators agreed on an overall spending level for 2015-17. But there’s still a lot to do — the caucuses must agree to the figure (which hasn’t been disclosed) and then they must decide how to apportion the spending among programs. Austin Jenkins quotes Office of Financial Management Director David […]

Policy Today: Teacher strikes

Comparing policy changes in the budget proposals

The Senate and House have proposed new operating budgets for 2015-17. The proposal that passed the Senate in April would spend $37.958 billion. The version that passed the Senate Ways and Means Committee on May 28 would spend $37.879 billion (including appropriations in other legislation). The budget that passed the House in April would spend […]

InFocus this week: Tax extenders and new budget proposals

New House and Senate budget proposals are $633 million apart

Earlier I wrote about the 2015-17 operating budget proposal that the Senate Ways and Means Committee passed last week. Rep. Ross Hunter has now released his new proposal. It would spend $38.5 billion — $633 million more than the new Senate proposal, and $450 million less than the version passed by the House in April. […]