Budget

Public schools funding in the capital budgets and a proposed new grant program for school construction

The Senate-passed capital budget would appropriate $876.4 million from all funds for public schools in 2023–25, and it assumes that the appropriations for the funded projects would total $6.868 billion over 10 years. The capital budget approved by the House Committee on Capital Budget would appropriate $844.1 million from all funds for public schools in […]

Comparing the Senate and House capital budgets

The Senate passed its capital budget (ESSB 5200) on March 24. It has not yet passed its bond bill (SSB 5201). As approved by the Ways & Means Committee, the bond bill would authorize $4.167 billion in general obligation bonds. The House has not yet passed either its capital budget (SHB 1147) or its bond […]

New brief: Comparing the Senate- and House-Passed Operating Budgets

Compared to the 2022 supplemental, the Senate-passed operating budget proposal would increase 2023–25 appropriations by 8.2% and the House-passed proposal would increase appropriations by 9.4%. Neither the Senate nor the House would increase general taxes. To fund the new, ongoing spending, both proposals—but especially the House’s—would use one-time funds, including reserves. Read the report here.

Under Senate and House budget proposals, paid family and medical leave premium rate could increase to 0.82% or 0.83% next year

SSB 5286, which would make changes to the paid family and medical leave (PFML) rate structure, has been passed by both the Senate and the House. I described the bill here. The bill requires the premiums to be set to maintain a new three-month reserve. The legislative task force on paid family and medical leave […]

House operating budget would shift federal relief money previously appropriated for learning loss to special education

The enacted 2021–23 operating budget appropriated $553.1 million from the federal elementary and secondary school emergency relief (ESSER) fund to address pandemic learning loss. This money is mostly from the third ESSER round, which must be spent by Sept. 2024. Washington’s school districts received $1.668 billion from the third round and the Office of Superintendent […]

The hospital safety net assessment program could be permanently extended; budget proposals assume $452 million in general fund savings in 2025–27

The Legislature looks set to extend and overhaul the hospital safety net assessment (HSNA) this year. Under current law, an assessment is levied on hospitals’ non-Medicare inpatient days. The collections are then returned to providers as Medicaid payments, which generates the federal Medicaid match. Those funds can be used to supplant state spending. This policy […]

Tax policy, benefit policy, and economic impact provisos in the budget proposals

The Senate and House 2023–25 operating budget proposals include various provisos related to tax policy, benefit policy, and economic impacts. (This post refers to the budget proposals as passed by the Senate and approved by the House Appropriations Committee.) First, the Senate proposal would reauthorize the Tax Structure Workgroup (TSWG). In December, the TSWG recommended […]

House chair’s 2023 supplemental operating budget would reduce 2021–23 appropriations by $804 million (and what’s happening with K–3 class size compliance?)

The House Appropriations Committee chair’s 2023 supplemental operating budget proposal would reduce 2021–23 appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by a net of $804.0 million. Maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, adjusted for enrollment and inflation) changes would increase appropriations by $423.9 million and new policies would reduce appropriations by $1.228 […]

House chair’s operating budget would increase appropriations for new policies by $5.004 billion

New policies in the House Appropriations Committee chair’s 2023–25 operating budget proposal would increase appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $5.004 billion. (Maintenance level changes would increase appropriations by another $914.6 million.) The chart below compares the policy changes to those in the proposals from the governor and the Senate Ways & […]

House chair’s operating budget balances over four years because it assumes higher-than-normal reversions

The House Appropriations Committee chair’s 2023–25 operating budget proposal would appropriate $70.044 billion from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO). That’s $859.9 million more than has been proposed by the Senate Ways & Means Committee chair, and it would be an increase of 9.2% over enacted 2021–23 appropriations. (The House chair’s proposal would appropriate $359.0 […]