Wisconsin recall election matters here, though not all agree
Does the Wisconsin recall election matter outside the Gopher State? Until Walker's win by a large margin Tuesday, organized labor thought so. Now, not so much. Fiscal conservatives hoping to rein in public employee compensation, particularly high pension and health insurance costs, thought the election mattered all along. Now, they see it as mattering even […]
May 30 , 2012 - Richard S. Davis
2/3 supermajority for tax increases headed to Supreme Court after King County judge rules it unconstitutional
King County Superior Court Judge Bruce Heller today ruled that the voter-approved supermajority requirement is unconstitutional. The ruling puts the issue back in the hands of the state Supreme Court. Andrew Garber reports the decision in the Seattle Times. Patrick Peter Callaghan provides important background and context, including this. Three previous times the top court […]
May 25 , 2012 - Kriss Sjoblom
Preliminary Economic Forecast Posted by Economic and Revenue Forecast Council
The preliminary quarterly update to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council’s forecast of the state economy was posted on Wednesday. The summary memo to the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers is here. Detailed tables are here. The preliminary forecast will be reviewed at a public meeting in Olympia on May 31, and may be revised […]
May 24 , 2012 - Emily Makings
New Brief: Increasing the 2011-13 Capital Budget
When considering the state budget, we tend to focus on the operating budget. Shifting gears, in a new policy brief, we discuss the 2012 supplemental capital budget. Unlike the operating supplemental, which reduced spending, the capital supplemental (enacted in April) increased spending by over $1 billion. About half of the increase is funded with general […]
May 14 , 2012 - Emily Makings
New Brief: Balancing the Operating Budget
At the end of the first special session, the legislature passed SSB 6636. Beginning in 2013-15, the legislature will be required to enact operating budgets that are balanced over four years. Right now, the governor must propose a balanced budget, but there is no requirement for the legislature to actually pass one. Additionally, the Economic […]
May 11 , 2012 - Kriss Sjoblom
April 11 to May 10 general fund-state revenue collections were $7.6 million less than forecasted
The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council’s monthly Economic & Revenue Update is out today. For the April 11 to May 10 month, general fund–state revenue collections were a modest $7.6 million less than the forecast. For the three-month period from February 11 to May 10, collections are cumulatively $9.6 million greater than the forecast. The […]
May 11 , 2012 - Emily Makings
New Brief: A Small Step for Public Pension Reform
During the budget negotiations, reforms to public employee pensions was a sticking point. In the end, the legislature adopted changes to the assumed rate of return on pension investments and reduced subsidized early retirement for new employees (hired on or after May 1, 2013). Current employees may retire early (before age 65), but their pensions […]
May 04 , 2012 - Emily Makings
New Brief: Changes to Public School Employee Health Insurance Coverage
During the second special session, the legislature enacted a bill that makes some changes to the purchasing system for K-12 employee health benefits. The current system had been the subject of a February 2011 report by the state auditor, which suggested that the system be streamlined, standardized, and even consolidated. The new bill doesn’t go […]
April 26 , 2012 - Emily Makings
New Brief: Repealing I-728, Grading Teachers, and Other 2012 Education Reforms
The legislature passed several education reform bills this year, which we consider in this policy brief. Significantly, as part of the budget compromise, legislators finally repealed I-728. By doing so, they helped clear the way for basic education funding needs. They also improved the 2013-15 fiscal situation by removing I-728 from the maintenance level. In […]
April 23 , 2012 - Richard S. Davis
Rockefeller Institute reports state collections recover nationally, not yet here
The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government reports that two successive years of growth have pushed states’ revenues abover the pre-recession peak. The full study is available here. States’ tax collections grew for the eighth straight quarter at the end of 2011, for the first time topping peak revenue levels seen at the beginning of […]