The 2018 supplemental operating budget proposed yesterday by Sen. Rolfes, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, would increase 2017–19 near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) spending by $1.105 billion. That figure is made up of maintenance and policy level changes. Maintenance level is the cost of continuing current services, accounting for caseload, inflation, etc. Policy level shows the impact of new policies proposed in the budget.

There is a substantial difference in the maintenance level changes in the governor’s and Senate chair’s proposals. In the supplemental Gov. Inslee proposed in December, maintenance level changes increased spending by $81.8 million. By contrast, in the Senate chair’s proposal, they reduce spending by $131.2 million. Much of the difference comes in the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and Health Care Authority (HCA). The Senate chair’s summary documents note that maintenance level reductions are thanks to lower caseload and per capita costs in entitlement programs.

At the policy level, the governor’s proposal would increase spending by $879.0 million and the Senate chair’s would increase spending by $1.236 billion. The chart shows where these policy level changes occur in the budget. I’ve combined DSHS and HCA in the chart; otherwise they would be skewed by a transfer of $568.4 million from DSHS to HCA (part of the planned integration of physical and behavioral health care for Medicaid clients).

The glaring difference between the two is in public schools. Both the governor and the Senate chair would fully fund school salaries in SY 2018–19. However, the Senate chair would not change the school apportionment schedule—the governor’s proposal would save $604.5 million by doing so.