Governor Inslee released his 2016 supplemental budget proposal yesterday, which makes adjustments to the 2015-17 biennial budget and marks the beginning of the 2016 state budget process. The state Senate and House of Representatives will each formulate a budget proposal during the upcoming legislative session and then work to reach a state supplemental budget agreement before the end of session.

There are no new investments for Western in the Governor’s supplemental budget, however, a few technical adjustments were made to reflect actual university costs. Similarly, technical adjustments were proposed to address Western’s biennial capital budget, but new capital investments were not outlined for Western in the Governor’s proposal.

In general, the Governor’s supplemental budget prioritizes adjustments to the 2015-17 biennial budget, including modifying mandatory spending obligations, and funding for emergency wildfire response, mental health lawsuit settlements, and K-12 teacher salary increases throughout the state. Here’s an overview of the Governor’s 2016 supplemental budget overview with additional information.

With the legislative session kicking off just around the corner on January 11, Western’s office of Government Relations will provide updates in the WLR throughout the coming months.