Legislature appropriates $52.8 billion in 2019–21 operating budget and other legislation
On Thursday afternoon, the House and Senate budget chairs announced that they had come to an agreement on the operating budget, but details were not released to the public until Saturday afternoon. The budget was passed by the Legislature yesterday (just a day later), the final day of the legislative session. As passed by the […]
26th of April 2019
House Appropriations approves B&O surcharge for higher education—should it be subject to the four-year balanced budget requirement?
As part of his 2019–21 operating budget proposal, the Appropriations Committee Chair had proposed HB 2158, which would impose a “workforce education investment” business and occupation (B&O) tax surcharge on certain businesses to fund higher education and career connected learning programs. As originally proposed, HB 2158 would appropriate $389.6 million in 2019–21, on top of […]
Budget agreement reached (but not made public), and Senate passes several tax bills
Yesterday afternoon, the chairs of the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Ways and Means Committee announced that they have come to an agreement on the 2019–21 operating budget. This means that the Legislature could finish on time on Sunday. However, no details of the budget have been released. Joseph O’Sullivan reports in the Seattle Times, […]
23rd of April 2019
House Appropriations Committee moves budget-related bills
Yesterday the House Appropriations Committee amended and approved several budget-related bills. (This follows House Finance action on some of these bills last week.) HB 2159, as approved by Appropriations, would appropriate $42.3 million from the budget stabilization account (BSA, or the rainy day fund) in 2017–19 for fire suppression costs. (Originally, the bill would have […]
22nd of April 2019
House Finance Committee approves tax bills assumed in the House budget (plus, a REET proposal side-by-side)
On Friday, the House Finance Committee amended and approved HB 2156, HB 2157, and HB 2158, all of which are assumed in the operating budget passed by the House. We described these bills as originally proposed in our brief on the House- and Senate-passed budgets. HB 2157 and HB 2158 are scheduled to be heard […]
19th of April 2019
W&M amends, approves several budget-related bills
Yesterday the Senate Ways and Means Committee approved several budget-related bills (outlined below). Significant changes were made to some of the bills. SSB 5998 would make the real estate excise tax (REET) rate graduated. The Senate budget assumed enactment of a graduated REET, but the vehicle was SB 5991, which would have increased revenues by […]
18th of April 2019
New policy brief: House- and Senate-Passed Operating Budgets Would Increase Taxes to Pay for Billions in New Policy Spending
State revenues from current sources are estimated to reach $50.555 billion in 2019–21, enough to cover the 2019–21 maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services). On top of the maintenance level, the House has passed a 2019–21 operating budget that would increase appropriations by $2.421 billion from funds subject to the outlook and the […]
10th of April 2019
New brief: Comparing the 2019-21 Operating Budgets
The House and Senate have each passed 2019–21 operating budgets. The House-passed budget would appropriate $52.934 billion from funds subject to the outlook and another $389.6 million from a new workforce education investment account (WEIA). The Senate-passed budget would appropriate $52.181 billion from funds subject to the outlook ($1.143 billion less than the House, including […]
5th of April 2019
Senate-passed operating budget would appropriate $52.181 billion
Yesterday the Senate passed a 2019–21 operating budget. Floor amendments added $10.5 million from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) compared to the budget that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee earlier this week. As passed by the Senate, the budget would appropriate $52.181 billion. That’s $753.6 million less than the budget passed […]
3rd of April 2019
W&M approves operating budget that would appropriate $1.9 million less than Chair had proposed
Late last night/early this morning the Senate Ways and Means Committee approved a 2019–21 operating budget. We wrote about the budget as proposed by the W&M Chair in a policy brief yesterday. As amended by the committee, the budget would appropriate $52.170 billion from funds subject to the outlook for 2019–21. Committee amendments reduced appropriations […]