Budget

What are the prospects for the budget?

Back in January, I wrote about the McCleary bow wave, which is largely responsible for the enormous increase in the maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services) for 2019–21. As I noted, the McCleary spending has been included in the outlook for the upcoming biennium, and it—along with other maintenance level spending—can be funded […]

Spending under Gov. Inslee’s proposed 2019–21 budget would increase to nearly $60 billion in 2021–23

Today the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council approved a four-year outlook based on Gov. Inslee’s proposed 2019–21 operating budget. The outlook shows that the governor’s proposal would balance over four years. It also provides more detail about what his various revenue and spending proposals would look like in 2021–23. (The methodology document is here.) Gov. […]

Gov. Inslee’s tax proposals have been introduced in the Legislature

The 2019 legislative session began yesterday. The main to-do this year, of course, is the 2019–21 budget. Gov. Inslee’s proposal, which we wrote about here, would increase spending from funds subject to the outlook by $9.973 billion and taxes by $3.689 billion. The tax package includes a capital gains tax and an increase to the […]

Gov. Inslee’s current law budget proposal would appropriate $3.561 billion less than his preferred proposal

Under state law, the governor must submit a budget proposal that balances within existing revenues. This is called the current law or “book 1” budget. Governors may also submit an alternative, or “book 2,” budget proposal that uses new revenues. Gov. Inslee proposed a book 2 budget that would increase 2019–21 spending from funds subject […]

New policy brief: Gov. Inslee Proposes a 22.3 Percent Spending Increase for 2019–21

Gov. Inslee has proposed a historically large 2019–21 operating budget that would increase spending from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $9.973 billion (22.3 percent). Of that spending, $6.415 billion is the cost of continuing current services and completing implementation of the K–12 spending required by the state Supreme Court’s McCleary decision. Current resources […]

Gov. Inslee proposes increasing state spending 22 percent in 2019–21

For 2019–21, Gov. Inslee is proposing operating appropriations of $54.634 billion. That’s an increase of $9.973 billion, or 22.3 percent, over 2017–19 appropriations. This level of appropriations would be very high by historical standards. The estimated maintenance level, or the cost of continuing current services, is $51.077 billion. This is $324 million higher than the maintenance […]

A $1.5 billion budget gap?

Gov. Inslee told the Everett Herald last week that the state faces a big budget gap in 2019–21: “We are about one-and-a-half billion dollars underwater going into the next biennium,” Inslee said. That’s the projected deficit before putting in more money to improve the mental health system, expand early childhood education and do “some of […]

OSPI’s 2019-21 budget request includes capital gains tax, change to maximum local levy

Today the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, held a press conference to announce his 2019–21 budget request. So far only an overview of the request is available, but it includes several fiscal policy proposals. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) writes, a “key aspect of Reykdal’s budget priorities involves addressing inequities created […]