Blog

Unemployment insurance compromise tough to replicate for workers' comp reform

In the Puget Sound Business Journal today, my column examines the 2011 legislative session’s big accomplishment so far: an agreement on unemployment insurance that drew overwhelming bipartisan support. It’s a good deal, providing tax relief to 90 percent of the state’s employers and increasing benefits for 70,000 unemployed workers. Conditions aligned for this to be […]

Preliminary March Economic Forecast

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council posted the Preliminary March Economic Forecast today. The summary memo from Arun Raha (ERFC Executive Director) to the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors is here; calendar year tables are here; fiscal year tables are here. With regards to the national economy Raha’s memo has this good news: The near-term […]

Tax Foundation releases state/local tax burden study: WA ranks 29th

The national Tax Foundation published its annual review of state/local taxes. Here’s the PDF of the report. And here’s the press release. TF uses a different methodology for calculating tax burdens than that used by some other familiar sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s how TF describes it: For each state, we calculate the […]

Minimum Wage Proposal Is Misguided

For 2011, Washington state’s minimum wage is $8.67 per hour. This is the country’s highest state minimum wage. Legislators are considering a misguided proposal to revise the manner in which the state’s minimum wage is indexed for inflation; this proposal would over time push the wage much, much higher.

Liberty Mutual CEO discusses U.S. inflation and more

I know a lot of folks who follow the WRC blog care about the economy, inflation trends, and the like. If you’re in that camp, I think you’ll enjoy this interview on Bloomberg with Liberty Mutual CEO Edmund “Ted” Kelly. Liberty Mutual is a good WRC member.

About Thrive Washington …

In the latest edition of AWB’s Washington Business magazine, I write about Thrive Washington, the research and communications partnership between the WRC and the Washington Roundtable. It’s seems wrong to quote myself. Please go to the column and let me know what you think.

Tax exemptions as economic stimulus…

Strange headline over this story in Stateline.org: Despite red ink, some governors push big tax cuts for businesses. A less skeptical editor might have written, “because of red ink, some governors use tax policy to stimulate investment and job creation.” Because, well, that’s what the story is about. Governors from New York to Florida, Idaho […]

February Economic and Revenue Update

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council's February Economic and Revenue Update was released today. The key number is $44.8 million. This is the cumulative shortfall in collections over the three months since the November update to the general fund revenue forecast. Today's report increases the likelihood that the next revision to the revenue forecast, which […]

Governor scheduled to sign UI bills this afternoon

A week of anticipation culminated in a welcome compromise on unemployment insurance legislation. The state Senate this morning concurred with the House, passing EHB 1091 (41 yea, 4 nay, 3 excused). The Wednesday, the House passed the measure, which provides permanent unemployment insurance tax relief to a reported 90 percent of employers and temporary extension […]

President's UI tax plan far from a done deal…kind of like the governor's better idea

Yesterday Emily wrote about President Obama’s plan to allow states to raise their unemployment insurance taxes and provide some temporary debt relief to states that have borrowed from the feds. Today that plan appears to be in a little trouble. The Wall Street Journal reports that Capitol Hill Republicans oppose the proposal, though states that […]