Budget

Policy reductions in the governor’s 2023 supplemental would help to balance the 2023–25 budget

Gov. Inslee’s 2023–25 operating budget proposal is funded via the increased revenue forecasts since the current budget was adopted and a transfer of $2.1 billion in reserve funds (from the Washington rescue plan transition account) to the general fund–state (GFS). Policy level reductions in the proposed 2023 supplemental to the 2021–23 budget also help to […]

Both the operating budget proposals would represent historically large increases in state spending

The 2022 supplemental operating budgets proposed by the Senate Ways & Means chair and the House Appropriations chair are quite unusual (if not unique) in that they each would spend more on new policy items than the enacted biennial budget did. Usually supplementals make only moderate changes. The enacted biennial budget added $3.324 billion in […]

Comparing policy changes in the Senate and House chairs’ proposals

As I wrote earlier, the Senate chair’s budget proposal would increase 2021–23 appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $4.681 billion and the House chair’s budget would increase NGFO appropriations by $6.216 billion. Those amounts are net of maintenance level savings and new policies. The maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, […]

House chair’s proposed supplemental operating budget would increase spending by $6.216 billion and would provide a sales tax holiday

The House Appropriations chair’s operating budget proposal would increase appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $6.216 billion. Revised 2021–23 NGFO appropriations would be $65.283 billion—26.5% over 2019–21 spending and 10.5% above enacted 2021–23 appropriations. This is $1.535 billion more than the Senate Ways & Means chair proposed. Major NGFO spending items include […]

Senate chair’s operating budget proposal would increase spending by $4.681 billion and would not reduce general taxes

The Ways & Means Committee chair has proposed a supplemental operating budget that would increase 2021–23 appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $4.681 billion. Revised NGFO appropriations would be $63.747 billion for the biennium. That’s 7.9% higher than enacted 2021–23 appropriations and 23.6% over 2019–21 spending. Some major spending items include (amounts […]

Senate capital budget proposal would rely heavily on federal funds

Yesterday Senators Frockt, Honeyford, Mullet, and Schoesler proposed a 2022 supplemental capital budget. (A summary and other documents are available here. The bill, SB 5651, is scheduled for public hearing by Ways & Means this afternoon.) The proposal would increase capital appropriations for 2021–23 by $1.243 billion from all funds. (That’s $51.3 million more than […]

Gov. Inslee’s budget proposal would leave an unrestricted ending balance of $998 million over four years

Today the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council adopted an official budget outlook based on Gov. Inslee’s 2022 supplemental operating budget proposal. Under the governor’s proposal, the unrestricted ending balance for funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) would be $1.316 billion in 2021–23 and $998 million in 2023–25. The maintenance level (the cost of continuing current […]

Governor’s budget includes funding for future homeless shelter capacity grants (plus, how document recording surcharges fund various housing programs)

The 2020 supplemental to the 2019–21 budget had appropriated $60.0 million from the home security fund account for local temporary shelter capacity grants. Then, the 2021 supplemental reduced that amount to $25.0 million. The enacted 2021–23 budget appropriated $35.0 million from the home security fund account for this purpose. Of the shelter capacity grant money, […]

As tort liability has risen for Washington, the state liability account is in deficit

One major policy item in Gov. Inslee’s proposed 2022 supplemental operating budget is an appropriation of $217.0 million from the general fund–state to the liability account, “to ensure the account is not in deficit.” The liability account is used “for the payment of liability settlements and judgments against the state . . . or for […]

Gov. Inslee would use a portion of marijuana excise tax revenue for community reinvestment grants

Gov. Inslee’s supplemental operating budget proposal would transfer $125.0 million from the dedicated marijuana account to a new community reinvestment account. The money would then be used by the Department of Commerce for community reinvestment grants for communities that “have experienced historically and inequitably enforced criminal laws and penalties for illegal drug sales, possession and […]