Blog

Gov. Inslee freezes hiring, contracts, purchasing, and travel

On Monday, Gov. Inslee directed agencies to freeze hiring, services contracts, goods and equipment purchases, and travel. This is in response to the budget deficit that is projected for 2025–27. Such a directive is the standard first response to a deficit—Gov. Inslee made a similar directive in May 2020 and Gov. Gregoire did the same […]

Dept. of Agriculture requests major funding increase for food assistance

General fund–state (GFS) appropriations for the Department of Agriculture were effectively flat from 2011–13 through 2019–21. Then, appropriations (adjusted for inflation) jumped 120.8% in 2021–23 and another 46.4% in 2023–25. Now, the department is requesting an increase of 56.7% for 2025–27. The total requested GFS increase of $89.3 million is comprised of a carry-forward level […]

Transportation revenues are expected to decline further, driven by significantly lower gasoline consumption estimates

The transportation revenue forecast has been revised down again. As I wrote last month, the September transportation revenue forecast was the first coordinated by the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council and it was the first meaningful update to the motor vehicle fuel tax forecast in over a year. The transportation revenue forecast includes revenues from […]

No help for operating budget writers in the November revenue and caseload forecasts

As Kriss wrote last week, state revenues are now expected to be lower than forecasted in September. Compared to the February revenue forecast (on which the current budget is based), revenues from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) are now expected to be $1.008 billion lower through the outlook period (2023–25, 2025–27, and 2027–29). Note, […]

Forecast of state revenues decreased

At its quarterly meeting this afternoon, the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) updated its forecasts of state revenues. These new forecasts decrease the amount of revenue expected over the current and next bienniums combined by a total of $269.5 million. Budget reports from legislative fiscal committees typically roll up four accounts: the general […]

Report on October state tax collections: revenues were $66 million greater than the forecasted amount

On Friday (November 15) the state’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) issued its monthly report on general fund revenue collections. The report is available here. Revenues for the most recent month were $66.0 million greater than the forecasted amount. However, this “positive variance” was wholly due to transfers of unclaimed property to the general […]

Department of Commerce seeks to build on its recent budget increases (plus, a document recording fee “backfill”)

General fund–state (GFS) appropriations for the Department of Commerce more than doubled in 2021–23 and 2023–25. Commerce’s budget request for 2025–27 would increase its GFS appropriations by $89.3 million (7.8%) over 2023–25. This includes a carry-forward level reduction of $381.0 million, a maintenance level increase of $15.5 million, and new policy increases of $454.9 million. […]

Department of Fish and Wildlife requests a 37% budget increase

General fund–state (GFS) spending for the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) has increased substantially since 2017–19. Now, the department is requesting an operating budget increase of 37.2% for 2025–27. Under the request, GFS appropriations would be $475.0 million. (See the box at the bottom of this post for budget and fund terminology.) New policy […]

Proposed Seattle bill would make the payroll expense tax permanent and add reserves to address the tax’s volatility

A bill (CB 120912) has been introduced in the Seattle City Council that would make several changes to the city’s payroll expense tax (PET). We wrote in detail about the tax, which is highly concentrated and volatile, in a policy brief last year. The tax is levied on compensation paid in Seattle to employees, and […]

Seattle is considering a 2% capital gains tax

A bill has been introduced in Seattle City Council to impose a 2% capital gains tax on the sale or exchange of long-term capital assets. The bill is being discussed today as part of Seattle’s budget process, and it looks like the Select Budget Committee could vote on it next week. The bill is mostly […]