Budget

Washington received an estimated $2.743 billion from the enhanced federal match for Medicaid

During the pandemic, the federal government has been providing an enhanced federal match for Medicaid. Typically, the federal government pays for 50% of Medicaid spending in Washington, and the state covers the other half. (A higher match is in place for some Medicaid clients, pursuant to the Affordable Care Act.) The enhanced pandemic federal medical […]

The enhanced federal Medicaid match will phase down and end on Dec. 31

The federal fiscal year 2023 consolidated appropriations act (passed by Congress on Dec. 23 and signed by the president on Dec. 29) includes a final deadline for the enhanced federal match for Medicaid that has been in place since early in the pandemic. Because this enhanced federal match supplants state funds for Medicaid, Washington has […]

NGFO and federal relief appropriations in Gov. Inslee’s supplemental operating budget would be 16.1% above 2019–21; other federal relief would be appropriated in capital and transportation budgets

Appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) in Gov. Inslee’s supplemental operating budget would be 18.2% over 2019–21. At the same time, his operating budget proposal would increase appropriations of federal COVID relief. Together, NGFO and federal relief appropriations in the operating budget proposal would be 16.1% over 2019–21 (after increasing by 35.2% in […]

New data from OSPI shows how school districts are using federal relief funds (20% has been spent so far)

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has created a useful spreadsheet showing how school districts have used their federal Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. It includes claims processed through Nov. 2021, and it will be updated going forward. (The spreadsheet can be accessed from this page.) The federal government appropriated […]

How fast is federal relief being used?

Earlier I wrote that federal relief for Washington’s governments, businesses, and individuals now exceeds $100 billion. Some of the funding for governments is fairly flexible—for example, the coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds. I reviewed reporting by the most populous governments in Washington on how they are spending those funds here. Little had been […]

Federal relief funds to governments, businesses, and individuals in Washington now total over $100 billion

Federal COVID relief that has been allocated for Washington’s governments, businesses, and individuals now totals $101.7 billion. Of that, $75.4 billion has gone or will go to businesses and individuals and $26.3 billion is flowing through our state and local governments. (This money will be spent over several years. For context, state and local governments […]

Federal relief funds to governments, businesses, and individuals in Washington total more than $93 billion so far

I’ve updated our table of federal COVID relief that has been allocated for Washington’s governments, businesses, and individuals. The relief now totals $93.6 billion. Of that, $67.3 billion has gone or will go to businesses and individuals and $26.3 billion is flowing through our state and local governments. This funding will be spent over several […]

Almost $90 billion in federal relief has so far been allocated to individuals, businesses, and governments in Washington

Federal coronavirus relief funding that Congress appropriated earlier this year in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act is still being distributed to its intended recipients. Because the bill includes so many pots of money that are for specific purposes, rather than for specific states, it’s still not clear exactly how much will come to Washington. […]

Across operating, capital, and transportation budgets, Legislature appropriated $10.1 billion in federal relief dollars (on top of $7.2 billion previously allocated)

Over $24 billion in federal relief has flown or will flow through Washington’s state and local governments. Of that, $7.238 billion was allocated by the governor last year or appropriated by the Legislature in early action bills this session. As part of the final operating, capital, and transportation budgets this session, the Legislature appropriated an […]

Including federal relief funds, the spending increases in the operating budget proposals are extraordinarily high

As I showed yesterday, the state has already allocated or appropriated $7.311 billion in federal relief dollars. On top of that, the Senate-passed operating budget would appropriate $6.837 billion and the House-passed operating budget would appropriate $8.776 billion in federal relief over three years. This relief funding does not just maintain state spending (as the […]