DVR Alert: Kriss on King 5's Upfront with Robert Mak
Update: Here is a link to the program. The video of the program is 20 minutes, 30 seconds in length. The segment on tax preferences begins 9 minutes in (11 minutes, 30 seconds remaining), following a segment on the Pierce County Assessor.
March 25 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Comparing Savings from Governor's New Workers' Comp Proposal to ESB 5566
Unfortunately, after the good news earlier this week about how much money ESB 5566 (passed by the Senate, but so far stalled in the House) would save the workers’ compensation system, the governor decided to put forward a different set of reform proposals that do not include the full option for voluntary settlement agreements. (For […]
March 23 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Keeping the best teachers in the classroom when it's necessary to downsize
That’s my subject in today’s Everett Herald column. Right now, layoffs are handled by seniority — last hired, first fired, with no regard for teacher performance. A pair of bills (HB 1609 and SB 5399) would create a performance-based system for staff reductions. The legislation calls for making layoff decisions based on teachers’ average evaluation […]
March 23 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Big Savings From Workers' Comp Reform
As we have reported numerous times, including in a recent policy brief, the Washington workers’ compensation system must be reformed. At the beginning of March, the Senate passed a bill (ESB 5566) that would do just that. Yesterday the fiscal note for the bill was released, and it confirms what we already knew: the provisions […]
March 21 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
More thoughts on the revenue forecast and budget shortfall
Kriss posted the WRC policy brief on the March revenue forecast. Today, Crosscut ran my article on the forecast and budget gap. A couple of excerpts: Lawmakers facing a multi-billion dollar shortfall will want to spend everything Raha has identified for them. They shouldn’t. Remember, he also said downside risks are twice as high as […]
March 21 , 2011 - Emily Makings
The Transportation Budget and the Gas Tax
Today the House released its 2011-13 transportation budget proposal. It would appropriate $8.924 billion for transportation operations and capital needs. That’s $1.8 million more than the governor proposed spending. Of note, from the summary: Transportation revenue sources have continued to grow more slowly than expected, with projected revenues for the 2011-13 biennium $100 million less […]
March 18 , 2011 - Kriss Sjoblom
Brief on March Revenue Forecast
We have posted a Policy Brief on the March revenue forecast, which can be downloaded through this link.
March 17 , 2011 - Kriss Sjoblom
March Forecast
This afternoon the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council reduced the forecast of general fund–state revenues for current 2009–11 biennium by $79.8 million to $28.047 billion and the forecast for the 2011–13 biennium by $698.4 million to $31.907 billion. These reductions were smaller than many had feared. As require by law, the baseline forecasts were […]
March 16 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Charting Stadium Funding
Earlier this month, SHB 1997 was passed by the House. Under the bill, instead of ending stadium taxes when the debt is paid off, they would be used for arts and heritage programs, affordable housing, community development, and the Washington State Convention Center. Via Politics Northwest, here is a very useful chart from the Office […]
March 15 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Budget Trickery Ahead?
As Kriss said, Thursday’s revenue forecast will likely bring yet another downward revision of revenues. Worries about the magnitude of the drop have led to discussion of possibly using a number of budget tricks that would push the problem forward. See the Times, the Olympian, and Washington State Wire. I think Erik Smith is a […]