News & Stories

Washington state’s budget deficit swells more, but revenue picture improves | Washington’s budget deficit grew to about $2.8 billion, but early signs of an economic recovery are making the state’s financial future a bit brighter. The new deficit figure stems from Friday’s report of the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, which formulates the official […]

Today I’ll be blogging live from the Olympia. First up at 10am, the TEA Party’s anti-revenue rally. Than later at noon I’ll be covering the Rally to Protect Our Economic Future, put on by the Rebuilding Our Economic Future Coalition. I’ve heard both rally’s should draw an estimated 4,000 extra people to the Capitol steps […]

11:50: I’m with a group from the Children’s Alliance marching toward the Capitol steps. Signs seen so far: Kids Not Cuts, Kids Come 1st, and Children Are Our Future. Biggest difference from TEA Party rally so far (aside from substantive issues)? Lots of kids and young adults. 11:59: Descending on the Capitol steps. It’s apparent […]

Today’s suggested exemptions to ax and sins to tax: $9.0 million | Special Public Utilities Tax rate for urban transportation and small vessels. A preferential rate for urban transportation was adopted when street cars and interurban railways were financially distressed. Private street cars and interurbans have been replaced with public transit. Primary beneficiaries now are […]

University centers create economic opportunity | As the budget picture worsens, higher education is again a target for policymakers, even as they argue that their top priority is economic recovery. If lawmakers want to grow the economy and revive the state’s workforce, they should be investing in higher education — not steadily withdrawing state support […]

Washington legislators have introduced House Bill 3184, which if passed will double the state’s current estate tax rates. (The bottom bracket is now 10%, and it tops out at 19% on estates over $11 million). It’s a sensible way  to help close the state’s budget gap — and one we’ve previously highlighted here in our Ax […]

Today’s suggested exemptions to ax and sins to tax: $10.9 million | Sales tax on out of state coal. Coal burned by a Centralia power plant was exempted from sales tax when 70% was purchased locally, to help preserve jobs. Now coal is imported into Washington — and the plant is a top producer of […]

Today’s suggested exemptions to ax and sins to tax: $92.9 million | Implement Governor Gregoire’s proposals for limiting tax exemptions: B&O exemption for out-of-state businesses with “economic nexus”: Washington now taxes companies with a physical presence in the state – this change would broaden that definition to include those with a significant economic presence. | […]

Cross-posted from Olympia Newswire: We can’t focus tax hikes on the wealthy as easily as Oregon with its progressive income tax. But here’s what we can do instead. Washington’s $2.6 billion budget gap presents state lawmakers with a two-for-one opportunity to lay the groundwork for a more prosperous future. By raising revenue to protect important […]

Reading Richard Davis’ latest opinion column in the Puget Sound Business Journal is like eating a meal prepared by a blindfolded cook. We begin with a helping of red herring, in which Mr. Davis cites a Heritage Foundation report that says unionized government jobs pay $430 per week more than comparable jobs in the private […]

Today’s suggested exemptions to ax and sins to tax: $176 million | End the sales tax exemption on fuel and other items used in interstate commerce. Air, rail, and water transportation companies engaged in interstate or foreign commerce are exempt from sales tax on fuel and other items. The United States Supreme Court has ruled […]

The National Partnership for Women and Families recently released a “State of the Working Woman” info sheet highlighting important facts about economic life for America’s working women. Keep an eye out — EOI will be releasing the 2010 edition of “Washington’s Working Women” this March. Percent of U.S. workers who are women:  49.9 [1] Proportion […]

In which Senator Debbie Regala (D-27, Tacoma) takes a clear-eyed look at state taxes and spending over the long haul, and Amy Kinsel (Professor of History at Shoreline Community College) points out the short-sighted irony of cutting funding for the very community colleges people need to retrain for new jobs during a recession. Plus, EOI […]

Today’s suggested exemptions to ax and sins to tax: Washington relies heavily on sales tax revenue. Services, which are largely untaxed, make up a growing percentage of the state economy in comparison to goods. The net effect is that the percentage of transactions covered by sales tax has been shrinking. Expanding the sales tax base […]

(Reprinted from the Everett Herald) || Most of us have a sense of how much a dollar will buy. But it turns out there are times when a buck is worth more than face value. For example, every public dollar we spend is actually worth about $1.41, thanks to the mathematics of the multiplier effect. […]

Newborn Family Leave: Effects on Business, Parents, and Children Full Report | Executive Summary The arrival of a new baby changes the world for parents, often bringing familial and work responsibilities into conflict. While some employers provide parents of newborns with the option to take time off of work to care for a new child, […]

Today’s suggested exemptions to ax and sins to tax: $84.5 million | Repeal Business and Occupation (B&O) tax deduction for interest on residential property first mortgage loans. Since 1970, credit agencies have been allowed to deduct interest earned from loans for first mortgages on residential property – presumably to encourage home purchases. However, there is […]

Released today, President Obama’s budget includes funding to help states provide paid family leave to to workers. Current federal law, the Family and Medical Leave Acts (FMLA), only provides unpaid leave — forcing workers to choose between caring for their families or losing a paycheck. Both California and New Jersey already have paid family leave […]

Yesterday, Oregon voters responded to the recession with strong votes in favor of two tax measures that will help preserve state funding for health care and education. The two measures provide more than a just revenue Band-Aid – they are a big first step toward resolving long-term problems in Oregon’s tax structure. So what lessons […]

From 12:05-12:10pm today (Wednesday the 27th) Sara Watson from Pew Center on the States will be on KUOW’s “The Conversation” to talk about the Partnership for America’s Economic Success recent early childhood education brief, The Costs of Disinvestment. You can listen online live or after the show here.

If this is what is happening in Bellevue, imagine what’s happening in the rest of the state: “This year’s [2009] budget cuts resulted in 60 Bellevue teachers losing their jobs, elimination of all librarians in secondary schools, and larger class sizes for all students. In my school we had to eliminate popular dance and drama […]

Today’s News and Views is about early childhood education, which has had trouble finding a home (and non-discretionary funding) in Washington State. Last year, early learning supporters — who range from policy experts to sheriff’s deputies — cheered when lawmakers took a significant first step toward fixing the problem by creating a more comprehensive definition […]

By Katie Bethel | MomsRising.org If you shop at Wal-Mart, you may be coming home with more than a good deal–you might be exposed to contagious illnesses like colds and the flu. Why? As the New York Times recently reported, employees receive demerits, lose pay, and ultimately risk termination for taking sick days. That’s exactly […]

For the first time in two decades, our state is poised to suspend the Housing Trust Fund, a key source of funding for the development and rehabilitation of affordable housing. Affordable housing developers have about 2,000 units of affordable housing ready and waiting for funding. Instead, Washington is poised to leave over 4,000 Washington residents […]

King 5’s recent reporting on early education in Washington State includes interviews with businesses leaders and elected officials who have stated their strong support for early education programs. Studies prove early education programs with a high-quality curriculum and teacher training better prepare young children for the classroom — resulting in a more educated workforce and […]

From Real Change News Last week, Gov. Chris Gregoire announced her keenly awaited proposal to close tax loopholes in order to help shrink the state’s $2.6 billion deficit. Education, health and human-services advocates hoped for a big number, but they were disappointed. In fact, Gregoire’s plan fell about $2.584 billion short. After months of careful […]

Today’s News and Views examines the changing faces of early education and community college. A national study evaluating the  Head Start school readiness program have shown lackluster results, leading the Department of Health and Human Services to announce changes intended to improve teacher training and program quality. With Washington’s Governor Gregoire set to introduce a […]

From the Everett Herald The big debate in Olympia for the next two months will be about public services and public revenues. You can’t have one without the other. But tax receipts have fallen even more from last year, so that the Legislature is faced with a budget that is $2.6 billion out of whack. […]