Legislature passes budget, funds contracts

The final 2017-19 operating budget was passed and signed on Friday, narrowly averting a state government shutdown. Thanks to everyone who called, rallied, and met with lawmakers to call for a budget that invests in Washington. Here are some of the budget details:

Fully funds our 2017-2019 state employee contracts, including:

• A 6% across-the-board COLA over two years
• Targeted pay increases that our team bargained for specific job classes
• Increased vacation accrual

A 6% cut to management positions at all General Government agencies (not community colleges).
 
Some agency-specific program changes include:

• Almost $1 million for forest health at DNR
• Funding for DOR to implement collection of new revenue sources, including collecting sales tax on items purchased over the internet by Washington residents from out-of-state vendors.
• $219,000 for Birth to Three services at the Washington State School for the Blind

 
You can see the whole budget, including agency-specific detail, here.