Blog

Capital budget request from Commerce focused on housing, clean energy projects, and broadband

For the 2024 supplemental capital budget, the Department of Commerce has requested $1.276 billion in 2023–25. This is the largest capital request for 2023–25 from any agency, representing 68.4% of all agency capital requests for the biennium. The request also includes estimates of future spending for the proposals. Spending from 2025–27 through 2031–33 would total […]

Accounting for new fiscal information since the 2023–25 budget was adopted, the projected four-year ending balance has grown from $23 million to $1.210 billion

During a House Appropriations Committee work session on Monday, committee staff provided a budget preview. There are three significant changes since the Legislature enacted the 2023–25 budget: the new revenue forecast, actual FY 2023 reversions (appropriations that were not spent), and a preliminary estimate of the maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, adjusted […]

OSPI’s supplemental capital budget request would use capital gains tax revenues to increase school construction funding formulas and for small district modernization grants

The 2024 supplemental capital budget request from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) would increase capital appropriations for the agency by $202.2 million for 2023–25, and estimated appropriations through 2031–33 would increase by a total of $5.858 billion. The 2023–25 amount is 10.8% of total capital budget requests statewide and the ten-year […]

On the importance of independence in revenue forecasting, and some context on the transportation revenue forecast process

KING 5 reports that the state Department of Transportation’s gas tax forecaster is suing the state “for allegedly retaliating against him for refusing to keep quiet about his economic forecast on the state’s gas price.” Whatever the merits of the forecaster’s claims, this story illustrates how important independent revenue forecasts are. Indeed, the state deserves […]

Sundry agency budget requests: bond retirement, capital gains, arts, and conservation

The following notable items from various agency budget requests are in terms of the general fund–state (GFS) unless otherwise noted: For bond retirement and interest, the state is recommending adjustments based on the debt service of existing bonds as of Aug. 31, projected debt service from the issuance of bonds that are currently authorized, and […]

Revenue forecast indicates the state will have $2.933 billion more for the operating budget than expected when the current budget was enacted

As Kriss wrote last week, the November forecast of revenues from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) is up compared to the September forecast. Compared to the March revenue forecast (on which the enacted 2023–25 budget is based), the current forecast is up $2.933 billion (over the 2021–23, 2023–25, and 2025–27 biennia). That increase includes […]

The November transportation revenue forecast doesn’t give transportation budget writers much to work with

The Transportation Revenue Forecast Council now estimates that transportation revenues will total $6.990 billion in 2023–25. That’s $56.4 million (0.8%) less than was expected for the biennium in the March transportation revenue forecast (on which the current transportation budget was based). As we discussed in our recent report on transportation revenues, the transportation revenue forecast […]

WSDOT is requesting $1.060 billion more for 2023–25—not including additional funding for culverts

The Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has requested $1.060 billion from all funds for the 2024 supplemental. That would be an increase of 10.4% over enacted 2023–25 appropriations for the agency. However, the supplemental request does not include the estimated additional $725 million that could be needed for fish passage barrier removal in 2023–25. Additionally, the […]

Dept. of Natural Resources is requesting an additional $23 million for its wildfire response and forest restoration program

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is requesting a 5.8% increase to its general fund–state (GFS) appropriations for 2023–25. On top of that, it is requesting a larger transfer from the GFS to the wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience account (25P). The 25P account was created as part of 2SHB 1168 in 2021, […]

Secretary of State requests supplemental funding for elections, for TVW, and to backfill document recording fee revenues

The Office of the Secretary of State is requesting a 40.4% increase to its 2023–25 general fund–state (GFS) appropriations. The largest item is $23.8 million in 2023–25 to reimburse counties for election costs. According to the request, the enacted 2023–25 biennial budget “does not allocate sufficient funds to reimburse the state share of costs to […]