The return of I-1351
As I wrote earlier, I-1351 is scheduled to become effective in 2019–21—within the four-year budget window. Plus, Gov. Inslee has proposed beginning to implement the initiative early, in 2017–19. Over the weekend, The News Tribune ran a good story about the costly initiative’s prospects this session. Like the governor, some legislators want to implement I-1351; […]
A new budget outlook, and possible budget process changes
Yesterday the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council adopted a four-year budget outlook based on Gov. Inslee’s proposed 2017–19 operating budget. According to the outlook, his proposal would leave a near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) unrestricted ending balance in 2019–21 of negative $2.041 billion (and total reserves would be negative $596 million). Meanwhile, the […]
17th of January 2017
New report: Gov. Inslee's 2017-19 Operating Budget Proposal Would Significantly Increase Spending and Taxes
In a new report, we provide an overview of Gov. Inslee's proposed operating budget for the next biennium. Briefly: Economic growth means that NGFS+ revenues for 2017-19 are expected to increase by $2.579 billion over 2015-17. Gov. Inslee proposes increasing revenues by another $4.369 billion. The B&O tax rate on services would be increased from […]
21st of December 2016
Gov. Inslee's within-existing-revenues budget alternative ignores McCleary
The governor is required by law to propose a budget that balances within existing revenues—this is called the “Book 1” budget. The 2017–19 operating budget Gov. Inslee proposed last week certainly did not meet that criteria, but it represents his preferred spending program. It would increase near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) spending by […]
16th of December 2016
More from the governor’s operating budget proposal
This week Gov. Inslee released his 2017–19 budget proposal. I’ve been looking through the numbers a bit more. (See here and here for posts giving an overview of the proposal. Also, Kriss, Mary and I talked about it in this episode of our podcast.) Overall, the budget would increase near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways […]
14th of December 2016
Gov. Inslee’s proposed budget would increase spending by $8.2 billion
Gov. Inslee has proposed increasing the 2017-19 near general fund–state plus opportunity pathways (NGFS+) operating budget by $8.2 billion over 2015-17 expenditures. This number includes the $3.9 billion in education spending the governor proposed yesterday, and it includes both policy and maintenance level spending. According to the summary document, about $4.8 billion of the $8.2 […]
13th of December 2016
Gov. Inslee’s education proposal would increase spending by $3.9 billion and add $4.4 billion in new taxes
Today Gov. Inslee released his proposal to increase education spending in the 2017–19 biennial budget. Some of this proposed spending is related to the McCleary decision. According to the governor’s policy brief, the proposal “includes the final steps of addressing teacher compensation and ending the decades-long overreliance on local levies for basic education.” It throws […]