On Saturday the House Ways and Means Committee reported out, with amendments its Chair’s proposed supplemental budget. (Here is our brief on the Chair’s Proposal.) The amendments increased spending by $64.4 million (General Fund-State, Education Legacy Trust and Opportunity Pathways Accounts combined [NGFS+]) from total in the Chair’s proposed budget and reduced the projected ending balance to $454 million. Here are highlights of the changes from the Chair’s proposal:

• Legislative branch spending was increased by $0.6 million (NGFS+).
• Judicial spending was increased by $7.4 million (NGFS+). Of this, $6.8 million was for the Administrative Office of the Courts, where an increase of $7.4 million for the Truancy/Becca program was partially offset by a $0.6 million general reduction. Funding for the Office of Public Defense was increased by $10.1 million, most of which comes from the Judicial Stabilization Trust Account and the Judicial Information Systems Accounts.
• Government Operations spending was increased by $1.4 million (NGFS+). Funding for the Department of Commerce increased by $0.9 million, and funding for Innovate Washington increased by $0.5 million.
• Other Human Services spending was increased by $11.5 million (NGFS+). Within this, $9 million went to the Department of Health to reinstitute public health grants to local jurisdictions and $1.8 million went to the Department of Corrections for community supervision of sex offenders.
• Department of Social and Health Services spending was increased $4.1 million (NGFS+). Funding for the Regional Support Networks increased by $3 million. Funding for volunteer services in the Long Term Care Program increased by $2.3 million.
• Natural Resources spending was increased by $3.7 million (NGFS+). The Puget Sound Partnership received $1.2 million of this. Additionally, funding for the Conservation Commission was restored.
• Transportation spending was increased by $2.2 million (NGFS+). All of this is for the Washington state Patrol.
• Public Schools spending was increased by $14.6 million (NGFS+). Funding of $3.0 million was provided for targeted grants for low performing schools, and funding of $11.5 million was provided to undo the reduction to the minimum number of certificated instructional staff for small high schools contained in the Chair’s proposal.
• Higher Education spending was increased by $0.2 million (NGFS+).
• Other Education spending was increased by $1.0 million (NGFS+). Responsibilities for Seasonal Child Care subsidies were transferred for DSHS to the Department of Early Learning
• Special Appropriations were increased by $17.7 million (NGFS+). Local health districts will receive a $12 million distribution from the GF-S. The Life Sciences Discovery Fund will get $4 million.
• The $14.4 million distribution of liquor excise tax revenue from the Liquor Excise Tax Account to the Local Public Health District Account is ended. The freed up liquor excise tax revenue should be available for transfer to the GF-S.