House Republicans understand every dollar the state spends comes from a hardworking taxpayer. We believe we should base our budgets on revenues- not hope for revenues based on our budgets. That's why we have proposed several ideas for getting our budget back on track and preventing future spending problems.

Please read about our solutions below. We apologize for the government jargon (sometimes it's the simplest way to say it!), and have included definitions at the bottom of this page.

1.    Establish a period of public and legislative review for the state's major appropriations bills. House Bill 1344, also known as the "Budget Sunshine Act," would require 72 hours before either legislative body could vote on the final operating, capital or transportation budgets. The benefit to a 72-hour waiting period is that it allows you, the taxpayer, time to provide comments and suggestions and allows legislators enough time to read what’s actually in the budget!

2.    Require the Legislature to adopt a balanced budget. It comes as a shock to many that only the governor is required to propose a balanced budget. House Bill 1426 and House Joint Resolution 4225 would remove the temptation to borrow money through long-term bonds to pay for daily expenses. This credit card spending does not make financial sense and only leads to more problems down the road. 

3.    Fund education first in the budget. Our state constitution says that education shall be "the paramount duty of the state." Yet year after year students and teachers suffer as schools struggle to pay for daily expenses. We believe no budget should be balanced on the backs of our children's future. That's why we've proposed House Bill 2533 to "Fund Education First" (and similar proposals since 2006) before any other operating expenses are discussed.

4.    Require a fiscal note to be established before final passage of any bill in the Legislature. House Bill 1067 would require the Legislature to know the full cost of a program before approving it. The state should not be writing blank checks with taxpayer money.

5.    Review the performance of new state programs and share with the public. We believe assessments are important to determining the success of a program. House Bill 2679 would allow the public to decide if something has been worth its investment and if it has fulfilled the promise made with its legislative approval.

6.    Make state agencies more accountable. House Bill 1068 would require the governor's approval for significant rules made by those agencies. We believe you are the customers of state government and that unelected agency bureaucrats should be more accountable to you.

7.    The original intent of the emergency clause has been abused and prevents citizen involvement in law making. House Joint Resolution 4200 would amend the Constitution, with voter approval, to require a 60 percent vote from the Legislature for emergency clauses. (Not to be confused with voter-approved requirement for a two-thirds vote on every tax increase proposal.) When an emergency clause is added to a bill, it becomes law as soon as the governor signs it, exempting the bill from the citizen referendum process.

 
8.    Move excess revenue in good economic years to the rainy day fund. House Joint Resolution 4209 would require the state automatically move revenue in excess of 133 percent of the state's 10-year revenue growth average into the constitutionally-protected rainy day fund. In 2005-07, we saw this extraordinary revenue in part from the booming housing market. If this proposal had been adopted, our state would have had $2.4 billion set aside to use during down economic times. This proposal would allow us to plan ahead and prepare for the natural booms and busts that our national and state economies have seen over the years.

9.     Stand with property owners in disputes. Our country’s prosperity is grounded upon the ability for individuals to own property. House Bill 1687 would provide property owners more certainty and fiscal stability by shifting the balance of power when they deal with counties in property tax disputes. The bill also would require more transparency to taxpayers in property tax ballot measures to better inform them on what they are voting on.

10.     Require a two-thirds majority vote of the Legislature to increase taxes. House Joint Resolution 4212 would create a constitutional amendment to require that two-thirds of the members in the House and Senate approve any attempt to raise your taxes. The public has supported this proposal repeatedly in elections but it has been overturned by the majority party. In 2010, we fought for more than 10 hours to keep Initiative 960 in place. If the Legislature wants to increase your taxes, it ought to be agreed upon by a large majority of lawmakers. This taxpayer protection should be in the constitution so voters do not have to come back every two years to affirm their support for making it difficult to raise taxes.

When our state has a more predictable budget, it greatly benefits our economy and provides an incentive for businesses to invest in Washington jobs.

Frequently asked questions

1.    What is the 'priorities of government' approach?
It is a method for distributing funding based on the highest priorities of government. For example, the state Constitution states that education is the ‘paramount duty of the state.’ As such, this would be the highest priority of the state when determining funding levels. We believe in funding programs that give taxpayers a return on their investment. If a program is not doing what it set out to do, it should be carefully examined before receiving more funding.

2.    How do you ensure that the most vulnerable are taken care of?
This goes back to the priorities of government. We believe we must take care of those who, through no fault of their own, cannot help themselves, plain and simple. Sometimes programs overlap, helping the same people with the same thing. In this case, efficiencies can be made so that more funding goes directly toward those we are trying to help rather than getting tied up in bureaucracy.
 
Definitions (see terms also at http://fiscal.wa.gov/Glossary.aspx)

• operating budget: this budget pays for the day-to-day expenses of the state: schools, law enforcement, jails, health care, elections, etc.
• capital budget: this budget is often referred to as the “construction” or “brick-and-mortar” budget. It pays for the construction of school buildings, jails, hospitals, higher education buildings, and park preservation.
• transportation budget: this budget pays for the construction of state highways, bridges and ferries, as well as the maintenance and operations of traffic management, planning and real estate. It is funded primarily through gas taxes, license fees, weight fees and recently, tolls.
• near-general fund: this refers to the state’s general fund as well as several dedicated fund accounts for things like water quality and drug enforcement.
• dedicated fund accounts: these are funds that have been set up to use funds collected for a specific purpose. For example, the Health Services Account is funded by tobacco products taxes, alcohol taxes, a health insurance premium tax, and hospital business and occupation taxes. That account is set aside to pay for health services for low-income residents, the Basic Health Plan, and tobacco prevention and control.
• Basic Health Plan: a state health insurance program aimed at providing subsidized (reduced-cost) managed care to families or individuals who do not qualify for Medicare.
• fiscal note: this is essentially the price tag of a bill. When a bill is about to have a public hearing, the Legislature requests a fiscal note from the state agencies who would be in charge of carrying out the bill if it became law. They report back with the costs of the bill for staffing as well as purchasing.
• emergency clause: this constitutionally-created function allows a bill to become law immediately after being signed by the governor because it is 'necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, health or safety, support of state government and its existing public institutions.' A bill signed with an emergency clause is exempt from the citizen referendum process for changing law after it has been passed by the Legislature.
• rainy day fund: this constitutionally-protected fund is essentially the state’s savings account. Any revenue collected above the spending limit in any year is deposited in the rainy day fund, also known as the Emergency Reserve Fund. A two-thirds vote on both the House and the Senate is required to take money from the rainy day fund, but only if the total budget does not exceed the spending limit.
• spending limit: according the state’s budget cannot increase from one year to another more than the fiscal growth factor, which takes into account population growth and inflation. There are several exemptions from this spending limit, including dedicated fund accounts. The limit can also be increased when funds are transferred between funds.
• referendum: a petition to refer acts of the Legislature to the ballot before they become law. The Legislature itself can also refer proposed legislation to voters for approval or rejection. (see www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/referenda_2009.aspx)
• initiative: a proposed law by citizens that is either put on the ballot for a vote, or sent to the Legislature for its consideration. (see www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/referenda_2009.aspx) 

Do you have suggestions for better budgeting practices in Olympia? Do you know of ways we can save money? Do you work in state government and see waste or know of more efficient methods that could be used? Contact us.