Official budget outlook adopted—with a major caveat
Today the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) adopted the official budget outlook based on the 2018 supplemental operating budget. Unfortunately, TVW did not cover the meeting, but according to ERFC staff, there were no changes to the draft outlook. The outlook incorporates the effects of Gov. Inslee’s vetoes. Total resources for 2017–19 are $12 […]
30th of March 2018
Gov. Inslee signed the budget, but vetoed some budgetarily-significant provisions
On Tuesday, Gov. Inslee acted on the supplemental operating budget and related legislation. We wrote about the budget as passed by the Legislature in this policy brief. First, the governor signed ESSB 6614, which reduces the state property tax in 2019 and diverts funds from the budget stabilization account. Second, he signed E2SSB 6362, which […]
15th of March 2018
New policy brief: In the 2018 Supplemental, the School Salary Increase is Fully Funded, But the Rainy Day Fund is Shortchanged
As passed by the Legislature, the 2018 supplemental operating budget increases near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways spending by $941.0 million. Appropriations for 2017–19 now total $44.649 billion. The supplemental does not levy new taxes, and it reduces property taxes in 2019. It also fully funds the increase in school salaries in SY 2018–19, as […]
8th of March 2018
Budget agreement would increase 2017–19 appropriations by $941.0 million
Yesterday evening the conference agreement on the 2018 supplemental operating budget was announced. It would increase near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) appropriations by $941.0 million over enacted 2017–19 appropriations. That’s $176.5 million less than the Senate-passed budget and $560.6 million more than the House-passed budget. (For more on the budgets that passed each […]
26th of February 2018
Friday budget action
On Friday, the state Senate passed a 2018 supplemental operating budget. It would increase near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) spending by $1.117 billion over enacted 2017–19 appropriations. (Another $25.2 million would be spent from the proposed dedicated McCleary account.) Floor amendments added $3.9 million to the version that was passed by the Ways […]
23rd of February 2018
Striker to House Appropriations budget would fully fund school staff salary increases in SY 2018–19
The most significant spending difference between the budgets passed by the House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means committees is that the W&M budget would fully fund the increase in school staff salaries in SY 2018–19 and the Appropriations budget would not. Walker Orenstein of The News Tribune notes that Appropriations chair Timm Ormsby has […]
Ways & Means changes property tax reduction proposal to 2018; otherwise, not many changes to committee-passed budget proposals
On Wednesday, the Senate Ways & Means and House Appropriations committees passed the 2018 supplemental operating budgets proposed by their respective chairs on Monday and Tuesday. Each committee made amendments to the proposals, but the broad strokes of the proposals remain the same. For more on the original proposals, see here, here, here, and here. […]
21st of February 2018
Comparing the policy changes in the budget proposals
As I wrote yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee chair’s operating budget proposal would increase near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) spending by $377.4 million. That includes maintenance level reductions of $151.2 million and policy level increases of $528.6 million. The chart below compares the NGFS+ policy changes to those of the Senate chair ($1.235 […]
20th of February 2018
House chair’s budget proposal would spend $727.2 million less than Senate chair’s
Today House Appropriations Committee chair Timm Ormsby proposed a 2018 supplemental operating budget that would increase 2017–19 near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) spending by $377.4 million. 2017–19 NGFS+ appropriations would total $44.086 billion. This proposal would spend $727.2 million less than the Senate chair’s proposal, which was released yesterday. (For more on the […]
Policy changes in the Senate budget proposal exceed those of the governor’s by $356.8 million
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, […]