Open Government

WPC's Center for Government Reform's mission is to partner with stakeholders and citizens to work toward a government focused on its core functions while improving its transparency, accountability, performance, and effectiveness for taxpayers.

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What's New

Group Says House Budget Would Need Supermajority Vote

April 11, 2013 in In the News
KGMI-AM (Bellingham)
Source: 
KGMI-AM (Bellingham)
Date: 
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Link: 
http://kgmi.com/Group-Says-House-Budget-Would-Need-Supermajority-V/16025229

House budget will require supermajority vote for approval

April 10, 2013 in Blog

Place this in your irony file, after fighting to have the voter-approved supermajority vote requirement for tax increases ruled unconstitutional, the budget proposed today by House Democrats will require a supermajority vote for approval.

State leaders should keep their promises, let temporary taxes expire

April 10, 2013 in Publications
By

Jason Mercier, Director, Center for Government Reform

, April, 2013

When the 2013 Legislative Session began this past January, tax increases in our state were a long shot.

First there was the voters’ most recent confirmation, for the fifth time, of our state’s two-decade-old law requiring a supermajority vote in the legislature to raise taxes. That proposal, Initiative 1185, received 64% of the vote (more than President Obama received) and passed in every county of the state, including King County.

House budget on deck

April 9, 2013 in Blog

Last Friday night the Senate approved its operating budget with a bipartisan 30-18 vote. The House is expected to release its counter proposal on Wednesday. As with most budgets there are good and bad components of the Senate plan.

OFM highlights concern with use of dedicated performance audit funds

April 5, 2013 in Blog

With the Senate about to take action on its 2013-15 budget proposal, the Office of Financial Management (OFM) is weighing in. OFM said this about the proposed use of dedicated I-900 performance audit funds:

Senate budget studies

April 4, 2013 in Blog

Having finished reading the 237 page budget summary I'm now digging in to the actual 401 page bill language. At the pace I'm going I'll be reading the Senate "approved" versus "proposed" budget. Despite being only a few pages in some very interesting studies proposed for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC).

Among them:

POG budgeting makes good sense

April 4, 2013 in In the News
Stanwood/Camano News
Source: 
Stanwood/Camano News
Date: 
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Link: 
http://www.scnews.com/news/2013-04-02/Editorial/POG_budgeting_makes_good_sense.html

Senate 2013-15 budget released

April 3, 2013 in Blog

The Senate Majority Coalition released its $33.2 billion 2013-15 blueprint for the state today at a noon press conference with Republican and Democrat budget writers speaking. Joining GOP Sen. Hill and Sen. Parlette were Democrat Sen. Hargrove and Sen. Nelson. As tweeted by Tacoma News Tribune Columnist Peter Callaghan:

In Our View: Keep Sales Tax Exemption

March 29, 2013 in In the News
The Columbian (Vancouver)
Source: 
The Columbian (Vancouver)
Date: 
Friday, March 29, 2013
Link: 
http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/mar/29/keep-sales-tax-exemption/