Washington lawmakers received some good news today (June 27) with the state's caseload forecast adding approximately $56 million to the miniscule budget ending fund balance. Had the caseload forecast instead gone the other way and resulted in an increase of $56 million in costs, the balance sheet for only the general fund would have been a negative $33 million.
Here are details on how today's caseload forecast impacted the general fund.
Before anyone gets too excited about today's news it is important to remember there remains a 40 percent possibility that forecasted revenue will come in $1.3 billion lower than expected before the biennium ends.
Also, depending on what the U.S. Supreme Court does Thursday in the federal health care ruling, today's savings could be wiped out if the Court tosses the full law.
But for today, at least, it's good budget news.
This story originally appeared on the Washington Policy Center's Washington Policy Blog and is reprinted with permission.
