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Legislature Passes 2019-21 Biennial Operating and Capital Budgets

On Sunday, April 28, leadership in the legislature reached a compromise on the state鈥檚 2019-21 biennial operating and capital budgets. The Governor is expected to approve these budgets, but has line-item veto power. As part of the compromise budget package, the legislature passed , which creates a dedicated source of funding for higher education through an increase to Business and Occupation (B&O) taxes on professional services.

For a detailed analysis and comparison of the proposals, see OPB鈥檚 newest brief on .

The outcomes of the state operating budget will be incorporated into the UW鈥檚 Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) operating budget, which will be presented to the Board of Regents as an information item in May and as an action item in June.

Operating Budget

Some noteworthy items in the final operating budget include:

  • Competitive Compensation and Foundational Support: The UW鈥檚 highest operating budget priority for the 2019 legislative session was funding to provide competitive compensation to recruit and retain valued faculty and staff. HB 2158 provides $25 million over the biennium in 鈥渇oundational support鈥 to increase the share of state funding for new compensation and central services in 2019-21. The amounts are also sufficient to make permanent the one-time compensation funding provided last year.
  • STEM Enrollments: HB 2158 also includes funding for STEM investments at the UW, including increasing high-demand enrollments across all three campuses and maintaining the Washington State Academic RedShirt (STARS) program.
  • Financial Aid: The compromise budget package will increase funding for the State Need Grant, which was re-named the 鈥淲ashington College Grant鈥 under HB 2158. The new funding will reduce the program鈥檚 current waitlist by one-third in FY20 and will fully eliminate the waitlist in FY21. Starting in FY21, the program鈥檚 income eligibility threshold will be expanded to include students with a household income of up to 100 percent of the state鈥檚 median family income.
  • UW Hospitals and the School of Dentistry: The compromise budget includes additional funding to UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, and the School of Dentistry to support their role in providing safety-net care for the state. The budget also provides B&O tax parity for Harborview.

Capital Budget

The compromise capital budget appropriates $167.7 million in new state funding, $94.3 million from the UW Building Account, and $1.8 million from the Model Toxics Control Account. The final capital budget provides significant new state funding for capital projects seeking to advance state and University priorities, including STEM, behavioral and mental health, and health sciences education.

Overall, the final budget fully funds multiple UW requests and provides a substantial amount of new funding for key projects that will benefit both the UW and Washington state as a whole.

Stay tuned to the OPBlog for more updates!

 

House and Senate Proposed 2019-21 Biennial Operating and Capital Budgets

Last week, leadership in the House and Senate released their 2019-21 state biennial operating and capital budget proposals.

The House Appropriations committee released their initial and budget proposals on March 25. The Senate Ways & Means committee released their budget proposal on March 27 and their budget proposal on March 29. As a reminder, Governor Jay Inslee released in December.

For a detailed analysis and comparison of the proposals, see OPB鈥檚 newest brief on .

Operating Budget

Some noteworthy items in the operating budget proposals include:

  • Competitive Compensation and Foundational Support: The UW鈥檚 highest operating budget priority for the 2019 legislative session is funding to provide competitive compensation to recruit and retain valued faculty and staff. Importantly, all budget proposals released thus far include funding to improve the UW鈥檚 share of state support for these critical new expenses. The Governor鈥檚 proposal and the original proposal from the Senate would provide sufficient funding to make permanent the temporary funding provided in the current biennium to increase the share of state support and, generally, those proposals get the closest to what is needed for this purpose in the upcoming biennium.
  • STEM Enrollments: The House operating budget would make significant investments in STEM enrollments, which would be funded by increasing Business & Occupation (B&O) taxes through .
  • UW Medicine and the School of Dentistry: The House budget would make targeted investments supporting UW Hospitals and the School of Dentistry.
  • Financial Aid: All three proposals make significant strides towards fulfilling the 2018 legislature鈥檚 commitment to fully fund the State Need Grant.

The House and Senate operating budget proposals assume revenue projections provided in the March revenue forecast from the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. All three operating budget proposals rely on significant new revenue from these forecasts as well as new revenue proposals. This includes increasing B&O taxes on professional services, instituting capital gains taxes, and/or increasing real estate excise taxes.

Capital Budget

The House鈥檚 capital budget would appropriate almost $167.7 million in new state funding for capital projects, along with $94.3 million from the UW Building Account and $1 million from the State Toxics Control Account. The Senate鈥檚 capital budget would appropriate almost $135 million in new state funding, $92.3 million from the UW Building Account, $1.8 million from the Model Toxics Control Account, and $1 million from the Community Behavioral Health Account. Governor Inslee鈥檚 capital budget proposed $72 million, $88.3 million, and $1 million, respectively.

Overall, the House and Senate proposals would fully fund multiple UW requests, but differ in their proposed funding mechanisms, amounts, and priorities. Both budgets would over-utilize the UW Building Account while providing significant new investments through state funds.

Stay tuned to the OPBlog for more updates as the proposed budgets move forward.

 

Note: The information in this post and the brief cover legislative versions as of April 1. For operating budget proposals, this means the House proposal after committee and floor amendments and the Senate proposal as originally proposed by the Senate Ways & Means chair. For capital budget proposals, the brief covers the House proposal with committee amendments and the Senate proposal as originally proposed by the Senate Ways & Means chair. Changes to the brief to reflect committee and floor changes in the Senate will be forthcoming.

March Revenue Forecast Shows Consistent Growth

The Washington Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) released their聽 on March 20. The projected Near General Fund-State (NGF-S) revenue forecast for the current 2017-19 biennium increased by $307 million, while the projected revenue collections for the upcoming 2019-21 biennium increased by $553.5 million. The report shows a similar forecast as that .

Here is a quick summary of the total projected Near GF-S revenue for each biennium:

  • $46.106 billion for the 2017-19 biennium, 18.1 percent more than the 2015-17 biennium
  • $50.555 billion for the 2019-21 biennium, 9.6 percent more than the 2017-19 biennium
  • $54.358 billion for the 2021-23 biennium, 7.5 percent more than the 2019-21 biennium

A bit more context about these numbers:

  • Cumulative major GF-S revenue collections were 3.7 percent higher than forecasted in November. Nearly one third of this extra revenue can be attributed to non-economic factors including one-time large payments and early payment of taxes. Accounting for these factors, collections were about 2.6 percent higher than forecasted in November, and are primarily due to stronger-than-expected taxable activity.
  • Washington鈥檚 February unemployment rate has maintained consistent at 4.5 percent, unchanged from recent months but higher than in the November forecast.
  • Personal income decreased slightly compared to the November forecast. Despite this, WA personal income growth has outpaced the county in 26 of the last 35 quarters.
  • Cumulative real estate excise taxes (REET) accounted for 11.2 percent of GF-S collections. Revenue associated with the sales of large commercial properties was significantly above forecasted levels.
  • Major threats to the U.S. and Washington economies remain, including international trade concerns, geopolitical risks, and a maturing economic expansion.

The forecast points out that lawmakers have already taken steps to increase revenue in the current legislative session. , which Governor Inslee signed on March 14, will facilitate the collection of state taxes on online sales by out-of-state vendors and is estimated to increase GF-S revenue by $115 million in the 2019-2021 biennium and $190 million in the 2021-23 biennium.

Budget writers in the Senate and House will use this updated forecast of projected 2019-21 revenues as a baseline for their budget proposals. We look forward to reviewing these proposals as soon as next week! Stay tuned to the OPBlog for updates on the legislative session and state budget proposals.

OPB Brief on Published Price vs. Net Price – 2019 update

The聽2019 update of the聽Published Price vs. Net Price brief is now available on our , and reflects the newest available data.聽 The brief includes sector-wide data on trends in published price and net price for public and private four-year colleges and institutions, a description of how declining state investment in higher education has spurred tuition increases, and a table comparing the UW鈥檚 net price for resident undergraduates receiving grant or scholarship aid to its聽U.S. News & World Report聽top 25 research university peers.

Governor Inslee鈥檚 Proposed 2019-21 Biennial Operating and Capital Budgets

On Thursday, Governor Jay Inslee released his proposed 2019-21 biennial and budgets. For a detailed analysis and summary of the Governor鈥檚 proposals, please see OPB鈥檚 brief on this page.

The Governor鈥檚 operating budget assumes significant new revenue from the creation of a capital gains tax, increasing the business and occupation tax rate for professional services, and modifying the real estate excise tax.

His proposed biennial operating budget would significantly increase appropriations to higher education institutions and student financial aid. The Governor鈥檚 budgets also invest heavily in the state鈥檚 behavioral health system鈥攊ncluding planning a partnership with UW鈥檚 health science schools to expand the workforce and clinical care through telemedicine and new clinical facilities, recovery efforts for Southern Resident Killer Whales, and steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The release of the Governor鈥檚 budget proposals represents the first step in a lengthy budget process. Lawmakers in the Senate and the House will have the opportunity to release their own budget proposals over the course of the 2019 legislative session 鈥 set to begin on Monday, January 14, 2019.

For more information regarding the UW鈥檚 current requests for state funding, please see OPB鈥檚 2019-21 operating and capital request submissions on the .

Stay tuned to the OPBlog for updates during the 2019 legislative session!

November Revenue Forecast Predicts Slower, But Increasing Growth

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) released their聽. The projected Near General Fund-State (GF-S) revenue forecast for the 2017-19 biennium increased by $163.4 million. Projected revenue collections for the 2019-21 biennium increased by $195.5 million. The report projects higher personal income than the聽, but slower growth.

Here is a quick summary of the total projected Near GF-S revenue for each biennium:

  • $45.799 billion for the 2017-19 biennium, 17.3 percent more than the 2015-17 biennium
  • $50.002 billion for the 2019-21 biennium, 9.2 percent more than the 2017-19 biennium
  • $53.795 billion for the 2021-23 biennium, 7.6 percent more than the 2019-21 biennium

Some context behind the numbers:

  • Washington鈥檚 unemployment declined to 4.3 percent in October, an all-time low in the series that extends back to 1976.
  • The forecast expects 2.7 percent Washington employment growth this year compared to 2.9 percent in the September forecast. The forecast expects growth to decelerate gradually as the recovery matures and for employment growth to average 1.3 percent per year in 2019 through 2023.
  • The forecast estimates that Washington personal income in the second quarter of 2018 is $10.4 billion (2.4 percent) higher than the September forecast.
  • Cumulative GF-S revenue collections from September 11 through November 10, 2018 were $22 million (0.7 percent) higher than forecasted in September. The slower growth was primarily attributed to Revenue Act taxes, which make up the bulk of GF-S revenue and include sales taxes, business and occupation taxes, and certain tobacco products, coming in $25 million (0.9 percent) lower than forecasted in September.

Governor Jay Inslee will use revenue estimates from this forecast when crafting his proposed 2019-21 biennial budgets, which will be released in December. The Governor鈥檚 budget release is the first step in the budget process for the upcoming 2019 legislative session, which begins in January.

Stay tuned to the OPBlog for updates on 2019-21 budget proposals and the legislative session!

September Revenue Forecast Shows Increased Revenue

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) released their聽. The projected Near General Fund-State (GF-S) revenue forecast for the 2017-19 biennium increased by $348 million. Projected revenue collections for the 2019-21 biennium increased by $443 million. The forecast expects higher personal income and employment than the聽.

Here is a quick summary of the total projected Near GF-S revenue for each biennium:

  • $45.636 billion for the 2017-19 biennium, 16.9 percent more than the 2015-17 biennium
  • $49.806 billion for the 2019-21 biennium, 9.1 percent more than the 2017-19 biennium
  • $53.585 billion for the 2021-23 biennium, 7.6 percent more than the 2019-21 biennium

Some context behind the numbers:

  • Cumulative GF-S revenue collections from June 11 through September 10, 2018 were $147 million (3.0 percent) higher than forecasted in June.
  • Revenue Act taxes, which make up the bulk of GF-S revenue and include sales taxes, business and occupation taxes, and certain tobacco products, came in $137 million (3.3 percent) higher than forecasted.
  • The forecast expects Washington employment to grow 2.9 percent this year compared to 2.5 percent in the June forecast. The increase is primarily attributed to growing private services-providing sectors. Partially due to employment growth, personal income is also projected to be higher than the June forecast.

There will be one more revenue forecast this year, which will be released in November. The Governor will use the November forecast revenue estimates when crafting his proposed 2019-21 biennial budgets, which will be released in December.

Stay tuned to the OPBlog for updates on revenue forecasts and the upcoming 2019 legislative session!

July Economic & Revenue Update Indicates Continued Growth in Washington

Last month the Washington state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) released their . Cumulative major General Fund-State (GF-S) revenue collections were $189 million higher than the .

Here is a quick summary of the total projected GF-S revenue for each biennium:

  • $45.288 billion, for the 2017-19 biennium, 16.0% more than the 2015-17 biennium
  • $49.363 billion, for the 2019-21 biennium, 9.0% more than the 2017-19 biennium
  • $53.170 billion, for the 2021-23 biennium, 7.7% more than the 2019-21 biennium

Some context behind the numbers:

  • Cumulative real estate excise taxes (REET) were $25 million (8.0%) higher than forecasted.
  • Revenue Act taxes, which consist of sales, use, business and occupation (B&O), utility and non-cigarette tobacco products, make up the bulk of the GF-S revenue. Collections were $131 million (2.7%) higher than forecasted.

In July the ERFC released an that showed a further increase in GF-S revenue collections. Here is how this update compares:

  • GF-S revenue collections for June 11 through July 10 were $41.1 million (2.4%) above the June forecast.
  • Revenue Act tax collections for the current period were $39.3 million (3.0%) higher than the June forecast.

Washington continues to lead the country in personal income growth. The U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released . These estimates showed Washington personal income rose to $434. 1 billion in the first quarter 2018 compared to $426.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017. With 7.4% growth rate, Washington was the highest among the states and the District of Columbia.

Check back with the OPBlog in September for future updates on revenue forecasts.

OPB Brief on Compromise 2018 Supplemental Budgets

Leadership in the state House and Senate released their compromise 2018 supplemental budget proposals earlier this week鈥攖he capital proposal came out on Tuesday evening and the operating proposal on Wednesday evening.聽 With the release of these budgets, and with their subsequent passage by the legislature, lawmakers聽ended the legislative session on time, for the first time since 2014.

The compromise budgets make changes to the recently approved 2017-19 biennial capital budget, as well as the 2017-19 biennial operating budget, which was approved last June. An OPB brief comparing the compromise budgets to prior proposals from the House, Senate, and Governor is now available .

In the coming weeks, OPB will post summaries of聽approved legislative proposals that were tracked by the University, as well as fiscal notes (objective estimates of a bill proposal’s fiscal impact on the University) that were聽completed聽during the 2018 session. Those will be posted on the OPB briefs page.

OPB Brief on Senate and House Leadership 2018 Supplemental Budget Proposals

On Monday, leadership in the Senate released their 2018 supplemental operating and capital budget proposals. On Tuesday and Wednesday, leadership in the House followed with the release of their 2018 supplemental operating and capital budget proposals. The supplemental proposals include technical corrections and minor appropriation changes to the recently approved , as well as the , which was approved last June. They also build off Governor Jay Inslee鈥檚 , which he released in December.

Please see this for a detailed comparison of the supplemental budget proposals released thus far.

As a reminder, now that the House and the Senate have offered competing proposals, lawmakers will work toward negotiating and passing compromise budgets by the scheduled end of session, on March 8, 2018. Stay tuned to the OPBlog for updates during the remainder of the 2018 legislative session.