Budget

Department of Corrections requests a 20.3% spending increase; almost half of that would backfill federal pandemic relief funding that is no longer available

In our policy brief explaining why the state is facing an estimated budget shortfall, we noted that one contributing factor is the fact that federal pandemic relief money is drying up. The 2025–27 operating budget request from the Department of Corrections provides an example of that. Corrections is requesting $3.390 billion from the general fund–state […]

Health Care Authority requests an 8.9% budget increase (not including caseload forecast impacts)

The Health Care Authority (HCA) is requesting $8.847 billion from the general fund–state (GFS) for 2025–27. That is an increase of $724.6 million (8.9%) over enacted 2023–25 appropriations. Of the increase, $90.9 million is carry-forward, $180.6 million is maintenance, and $477.0 million is new policy. (See the box at the bottom of this post for […]

DSHS requests a 23% budget increase for 2025–27 (and the request misclassifies some new policy as maintenance level)

Our estimate of the 2025–27 budget shortfall is based on the projected cost of continuing to fund current services in the next biennium. That cost is comprised of carry-forward level changes, maintenance level changes, and the estimated cost of collective bargaining agreements (which are considered new policy but are highly likely to be approved by […]

DCYF budget request driven by maintenance level items related to the Fair Start for Kids Act

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is requesting $4.537 billion from the general fund–state (GFS) for 2025–27. That would be an increase of $1.206 billion (36.2%) over enacted 2023–25 appropriations. The carry-forward level would decrease by $102.7 million, the maintenance level would increase by $1.057 billion, and the policy level would increase by […]

K–12 budget request would increase spending by $3.972 billion (and potentially increase classified staff salary allocations above teacher salary allocations)

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is requesting an increase of $3.972 billion to its general fund–state (GFS) budget for 2025–27. If the proposals are adopted by the Legislature, GFS appropriations for public schools would increase by 13.6%, to $33.139 billion. (See the box at the bottom of this post for budget and […]

OFM on the projected budget shortfall

Earlier this week we published two reports on the upcoming 2025–27 operating budget. In the first, we estimated that the state is facing a $5.1 billion shortfall for the biennium. That estimate incorporates the current revenue forecast, carry-forward level spending (the biennialized cost of enacted appropriations, calculated by the Office of Financial Management [OFM]), estimated […]

New brief: Anatomy of the Projected State Budget Shortfall

We estimate that Washington is facing a $5.1 billion budget shortfall for 2025–27. However, this is not a revenue shortfall. Biennial revenues have not declined. Instead, spending growth has outpaced revenue growth. Indeed, legislators have regularly appropriated more than they expect to collect from forecasted revenues—especially in 2023–25. Enacted appropriations for 2023–25 exceed revenues expected […]

New policies requested by agencies would increase spending by $6.756 billion in 2025–27

Most agencies have submitted budget requests for the 2025–27 biennium to the Office of Financial Management (OFM). Many have also submitted requests for the 2025 supplemental to the 2023–25 budget. (The numbers in this post are in terms of funds subject to the outlook unless otherwise noted.) The requests provide early estimates of the maintenance […]

New brief: Washington Faces an Estimated $5.1 Billion Shortfall

The cost of maintaining current services in the upcoming 2025–27 operating budget is expected to be higher than currently-forecasted revenues for funds subject to the outlook (NGFO). Including the September revenue forecast, a preliminary estimate of the maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, adjusted for enrollment and inflation) for the biennium, and the […]