Blog

Paid family and medical leave program balance has gone negative

Back in January, the Employment Security Department (ESD) estimated that the paid family and medical leave (PFML) program would be in cash deficit in March or April. At a meeting of the PFML Advisory Committee on Wednesday, ESD said that cash flow has fallen below zero this month. Indeed, on Wednesday, the account’s balance was […]

April report on state tax collections

The monthly report on general fund revenue collections from the state’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) was issued this morning. For the sales tax, the use tax, the business and occupation tax, the public utility tax, the tobacco products tax, and penalties and interest (collectively the Revenue Act receipts), this report covers payments received […]

The adopted official budget outlook will be more transparent about reserves, and an alternative outlook shows what would happen if capital gains taxes aren’t collected

Today the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) adopted an official outlook based on the 2022 supplemental operating budget. Incorporating all actions this session and the governor’s vetoes, the budget leaves an unrestricted ending balance in funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) of $222 million in 2021–23 and $374 million in 2023–25. It has been […]

Gov. Inslee’s budget vetoes will not have a significant fiscal impact

On Thursday, Gov. Inslee signed and partially vetoed the supplemental operating budget. (His veto message is here.) Appropriations levels have not yet been officially updated on the state’s fiscal site, but it looks like the vetoes will reduce appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by about $12.9 million. (As passed by the Legislature, […]

Any way you look at it, the supplemental spending change is historically large

In our policy brief comparing the House- and Senate-passed supplemental budgets, we included a chart showing that the proposed net changes in appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) would be larger than previous supplementals and even larger or on par with previous biennial budgets. That chart went back to 2007–09. Since then, I’ve […]

The official budget outlook will continue to assume revenues from the capital gains tax

Today the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) held a budget outlook methodology meeting. The budget outlook workgroup wanted the ERFC’s guidance as to how to treat revenues from the capital gains tax in the upcoming official budget outlook (based on the 2022 supplemental). The capital gains tax was adopted last year, and the first […]

After the 2022 supplemental budget, Washington has about $145.6 million left of general federal COVID relief

The coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund (CSFRF) is the most flexible of the federal COVID relief money. The state of Washington received $4.428 billion from the CSFRF. (The funds must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024 and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.) Last year, the Legislature appropriated $102.6 million of the CSFRF as part of […]

Budget funds a committee to make recommendations on a potential Washington future fund program

This year the state treasurer requested legislation (HB 1861/SB 5752) that would create a Washington future fund trust fund, as a way to provide funds for people born into low-income families that they could use as adults. As originally introduced, the bills would have deposited in the trust fund $3,200 for each person born in […]

Broadband funding in the operating and capital supplementals, and a new legislative task force

The supplemental operating budget includes $50.0 million from the general fund–state for digital equity and broadband access programs (sec. 128(197)). These could include programs to increase broadband access for low-income and rural communities. The supplemental capital budget appropriates $100 million in federal funding (the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) for broadband planning and infrastructure. Of […]

Federal relief funds to be used to begin a new effort to move people from public rights-of-way to housing

The supplemental operating budget passed by the Legislature uses $45.1 million from the coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund (CSFRF, the general federal relief that the Legislature has the most flexibility in using) for grants to move people living on state-owned rights-of-way to permanent housing (sec. 128(132)). Under the program, the Department of Commerce would make […]