Blog

The Economist magazine looks to the states and finds policy innovation and growing economies.

This issue of The Economist has a look at the American economy. Offsetting the predictable despair over the antics and inaction in D.C. is a positive assessment of American entrepreneurs and the dynamism in the states, what they call the America that works. A couple of excerpts then I encourage you to RTWT. Pressed for […]

State budget beginning to take shape amid uncertainty

  The House GOP released a “fund education first” budget proposal yesterday, adding a net $556 million in K-12 spending as a down payment on McCleary. (We always say “down payment” because the state Supreme Court expects considerably more by 2017. This is the year lawmakers have to show a good faith effort.) Here’s the […]

Google to expand in Kirkland

Recent articles in the Seattle Times (here) and the New York Times (here) cover Google’s Tuesday announcement that it would build two additional buildings at its Kirkland complex, providing space for an additional 1,000 employees. Currently Google has more than 1,000 employees in the region, with 60% in Kirkland and 40% Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. The […]

Another day, another $300 million added to the state budget problem

The Caseload Forecast Council met this morning. Although the news generally was mixed-to-positive, the bottom line effect was bad news: Increased medical utilization costs added $301 million to maintenance-level costs. Here’s the worksheet for the two bienniashowing the detail. And here’s the Seattle Times report pegging the shortfall now at about $1.3 billion before making […]

Handicapping the economy – mixed reviews ahead of the 3/20 state revenue forecast

Kriss has written (here and here) that the next state revenue forecast will likely come in below the November numbers, adding to the budget woes that will dominate the closing weeks of the legislative session. As has been the case through much of this frustrating semi-recovery, expectations continue to be mixed. Economist Mark Perry has […]

The legislative education funding challenge: How do you solve a problem like McCleary?

My column in the current issue of AWB’s Washington Business considers the state budget problem. It was written weeks ago, but holds up I think. With next week’s revenue forecast likely to be down (and a new caseload forecast tomorrow apt to show increased costs), the challenge is a bit tougher than it looked in […]

State revenue collections report for February 11-March 10 period

On Monday, the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council reported general fund–state revenue collections for the February 11 – March 10 period in the monthly Economic and Revenue Update. For the period, collections exceeded forecast by $41.6 million (4.6%). EFRC staff attributes most of this positive variance to timing in payments and expects “payments in the […]

State Senate sets city limits on Seattle sick live ordinance

Business groups opposing Seattle’s controversial paid sick leave ordinance won one yesterday, as the state Senate passed ESB 5276 on a strong bipartisan vote, 29-20. The city’s ordinance would have applied the rule to employers operating in the city, regardless of whether the firm was located within Seattle city limits.The Senate bill sets limits, city […]

A chart of unemployment insurance claims in Washington

Here is a chart of the four-week average of seasonally-adjusted initial claims for unemployment in Washington state. While the most recent values are above the average for 2006 and 2007, the two years preceding the great recession, these values are slightly below the average for 1999 and 2000, the two years preceding the dot-com collapse. […]

Revenue forecast likely to be reduced

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council met this morning in Olympia to discuss the preliminary version of the economic forecast that will underpin the updated revenue forecast scheduled to be unveiled on March 20th.  The preliminary economic forecast is discussed in this memo. Handouts and slides from today’s meeting are available here. The new economic […]