2018 Session: Reps. Condotta, Steele Talk Revenue Forecast, Budgets, Housing

12th District Representatives Mike Steele and Cary Condotta join Dan Langager every Friday on the KOHO Morning Show during the 2018 legislative session in Olympia.
Today they talk about latest revenue projections for this year and next, where that extra money should go – likely increasing teacher pay, the latest with the carbon tax and fuel standards bills, supplemental budget proposals coming out next week and the lack of any affordable housing legislation this session.

The numbers released by the Office of Financial Management yesterdayat a meeting of the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council showed an increase of about $1.3 billion more than expected through 2021. Overall state revenues increased by nearly $628 million for the current two-year budget that ends mid-2019, putting it at nearly $45 billion. The projections for the next two-year budget that ends in mid-2021 also increase, by nearly $660 million, pushing the state budget up to $49.1 billion.
The numbers are good news for lawmakers who have been ordered by the state Supreme Court to expedite the timeframe to pay for the teacher and staff salary portion of a plan passed last year to fully fund basic education.