Citizens' Guide to Senate Joint Resolution 8206 To Enhance the State's Constitutional Savings Account

This November, Washingtonians will vote on Senate Joint Resolution 8206, a proposal to enhance the state’s existing constitutionally protected savings account for the state budget. The proposed constitutional amendment would build on a previous constitutional amendment adopted by voters in 2007 that created a constitutionally protected rainy-day savings account for the state budget, replacing the state’s statutory emergency reserve. The 2007 proposal passed with 68 percent of the vote. To build on the success of the 2007 reform, in January Washington Policy Center recommended that state leaders take additional steps to ensure that once the economy begins to improve, the state secures adequate reserves to help smooth out the ups and downs of revenue collections . . . READ MORE

Governor calls special session to begin November 28

Governor Gregoire announced this morning she is calling a special session to start November 28 to address the state's $1 billion plus budget deficit. Here are my notes from her press conference . . . READ MORE

State employee compensation now available in a searchable format

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) and the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee (LEAP) have worked together to make the state's 2011 Personnel Detail available on the state's budget transparency website (www.fiscal.wa.gov) in a searchable way. This has been one of our top priorities since www.fiscal.wa.gov was launched in 2008. Many thanks to OFM and LEAP for their efforts to make this happen and their commitment to provide future year's data in the same searchable format . . . READ MORE

Citizens’ Guide to Initiative 1183 To End Washington’s Liquor Store Monopoly

In November the people of Washington will vote on Initiative 1183, which if passed would end the state’s 78-year-old monopoly on the sale of liquor in Washington. Initiative 1183 is similar to last year’s Initiative 1100, which was rejected by voters, but there are also important differences. These differences are discussed in detail here. Washington Policy Center has long recommended getting the state out of the liquor business and allowing the competitive private sale of liquor under regulation by the state. This change would allow state officials to shift their efforts from managing retail sales to exclusively enforcing the state’s liquor, public health and public safety laws. Here are our Key Findings . . . READ MORE

Small Business Owners Offer Solutions for Recovery at Statewide Conference

Small business owners and policymakers from around the state gathered at Bellevue College yesterday to discuss the state’s business climate at Washington Policy Center’s (WPC) 2011 Statewide Small Business Conference. During several interactive issue breakout sessions, business owners suggested and discussed solutions to improve the climate for small businesses in Washington.  This was the fifth statewide small business conference hosted by WPC since 2003. The result is a list of priority solutions, selected by small business owners, for solving the major problems with the state’s business climate and moving towards economic recovery . . . READ MORE