A roundup of our posts about the 2021 supplemental and 2021–23 budget proposals
[Updated] We’ve written several posts about the operating budget proposals that have been made so far. I’ve collected links to them all below, for reference. (And I will update this post as we write more about these and future proposals.) Overviews: New operating budget proposal from W&M ranking member would reduce taxes, leave the rainy […]
25th of February 2021
Comparing the bottom lines of the operating budget proposals
The table below compares key points from the balance sheets of the three budget proposals. (The full outlooks are available here, here, and here.) Gov. Inslee would increase taxes, while Senate and House Republicans would reduce them. (The $97 million increase in revenues in the House Republican proposal is actually a transfer from the rainy […]
More on the policy changes in the House Republican 2021–23 operating budget proposal
The House Republican proposal for a 2021–23 operating budget would appropriate $55.352 billion from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO). That would be a reduction from the maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, adjusted for enrollment and inflation) of $760.0 million. Major NGFO policy additions in the 2021–23 proposal include: $200.0 million for […]
17th of February 2021
Comparing the 2021–23 operating budget proposals from Gov. Inslee and Senate Republicans
Sen. Wilson’s 2021–23 operating budget proposal would appropriate $55.505 billion from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO). This would represent an increase of 3.4% over enacted 2019–21 appropriations. (It would be an increase of 6.2% over Sen. Wilson’s 2021 supplemental proposal.) Gov. Inslee’s 2021–23 proposal would appropriate $57.893 billion (as revised by the Office of […]
16th of February 2021
House Republican budget proposal would use the rainy day fund (including for a recovery rebate for low-income individuals)
Today Rep. Drew Stokesbary, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, released proposals for a 2021 supplemental and a 2021–23 biennial operating budget. Like the proposals from Sen. Wilson last week, Rep. Stokesbary’s proposals would drain the rainy day fund in 2021 and would not increase general taxes. The 2021 supplemental would reduce appropriations from […]
11th of February 2021
Republican budget proposal would drain the rainy day fund and avoid new taxes
Sen. Lynda Wilson, ranking member of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, has released a 2021 supplemental proposal and a 2021–23 operating budget proposal. The 2021 supplemental would reduce appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $1.421 billion. Revised 2019–21 appropriations would be $52.279 billion (still an increase of 17.0% over 2017–19). Appropriations […]
28th of January 2021
Official budget outlook estimates that Gov. Inslee’s budget proposal would leave $1.9 billion in unrestricted reserves at the end of 2023–25
Today the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) adopted an official budget outlook based on Gov. Inslee’s operating budget proposal. The 2021–23 budget proposal not only balances over four years but would leave an exceptionally large unrestricted ending balance (in funds subject to the outlook) of $1.904 billion in 2023–25. This is the largest ending […]
22nd of January 2021
Revenue collections continue to improve the budget outlook
As Kriss wrote earlier this week, the December and January collections reports showed that state revenues have so far come in $323.1 million higher the November revenue forecast. The balance sheet below includes these higher collections. The maintenance level estimates are from Gov. Inslee’s budget proposal. (These are the estimated costs of continuing current services, […]
Gov. Inslee’s current law budget proposal phoned in
State law requires the governor to propose a budget that balances within current resources (RCW 43.88.030(1)). This is called the “current law” budget or the “book 1” budget. Additionally, the governor “may” submit a budget that increases taxes (called the “book 2” budget). The budget Gov. Inslee proposed in December is his book 2 budget. […]
6th of January 2021
The rainy day fund and the governor’s budget
The governor’s proposed 2021 supplemental operating budget would drain the budget stabilization account (BSA, or the rainy day fund), as I noted last month. Based on the November revenue forecast, the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council estimated that the BSA’s ending balance in 2019–21 would be $1.943 billion—the highest it has ever been. That figure […]