Washington Research Council

Buying an affordable home is a serious challenge for people throughout the Puget Sound region. Joining us to discuss the impediments to increasing the housing supply is Nick Harper, Senior Director of Strategy & Policy for the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. Here's a statistic from Nick that really highlights the problem: Over the last five years on average, the city of Seattle has grown by 50 people a day, 35 jobs a day, but only 11 living units a day. And that imbalance can be extrapolated to the whole Puget Sound region. You can read our Special Report on the state's Growth Management Act, which covers problems with housing affordability, here: https://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2016/07/wrc_gma_report_july_6_2016_final_for_web.pdf

In this episode we're joined by Dr. Rick Evans of the University of Chicago, an expert on open source macroeconomics, which aims to use the power of computational modeling to enhance economic research and public policy analysis. It's a fascinating discussion on a groundbreaking new field. To learn more about Dr. Evans, visit his website here: https://sites.google.com/site/rickecon/ For information about the University of Chicago's new Becker Friedman Institute Open Source Macroeconomics Laboratory, click here: http://bfi.uchicago.edu/osm

Today we're talking with the Manufacturing Industrial Council's Executive Director, Dave Gering, about the manufacturing industry - and manufacturing jobs - in Seattle. Dave talks about the 106,000 industrial jobs in the city, and what the industry is doing to educate students with the skills they need to find employment. With many open positions and employers having to import skilled workers from out of state, there are plenty of job opportunities in this robust sector of the local economy. You can also read our Special Report on manufacturing, the first in a series, here: https://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/09/manufacturingjobspart1final.pdf

Today's episode covers the new tax revenues in the recently passed K-12 education funding law, which the State of Washington hopes will fulfill its obligations in the Supreme Court's McCleary ruling. You can read our Special Report on the McCleary legislation here: https://researchcouncil.org/2017/08/17/new-special-report-has-the-state-finally-closed-the-book-on-mccleary

Today we're discussing the K-12 education funding bill passed by the state Legislature, in response to the state Supreme Court's McCleary ruling on basic education. In this episode we cover funding and policy changes; in the next episode we'll cover tax revenues. To read our Special Report on the McCleary bill, click here: https://researchcouncil.org/2017/08/17/new-special-report-has-the-state-finally-closed-the-book-on-mccleary

Today we're discussing the manufacturing tax relief bill recently vetoed by Gov. Inslee. You can read our Seattle Times op-ed on the manufacturing tax here: http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/lower-taxes-to-boost-manufacturing-jobs/

In today's podcast we talk about state revenue forecasts and how they affect the state budget.

The only constant in politics and economics today is change. From establishment-busting elections to upheaval in the workforce, the world is a much different place than it was just a few decades ago. Today's guest, Ian Toner, analyzes these changes for a living. Mr. Toner serves as Chief Investment Officer at Verus Investments, which offers research-driven advice to its clients (who include educational and charitable organizations, corporate, multi-employer and public defined benefit plans, hospitals and insurance providers) on more than $330 billion in assets. Mr. Toner, who will be the Guest Speaker at our upcoming Annual Dinner in Bellevue this May 23, gives his thoughts on the recent American and French elections, Brexit, the future of trade agreements, and more. For more information on our Annual Dinner, where Mr. Toner will be Guest Speaker, click here: https://researchcouncil.org/2017/04/05/wrc-annual-dinner-may-23-in-bellevue

With proposals for implementing a state capital gains tax making the rounds in the Legislature, we discuss what a capital gains tax is, what the proposals are, and how they would affect Washington state. Click here for our recent analysis of the capital gains tax proposals: http://researchcouncil.org/2017/03/31/new-special-report-proposals-for-a-state-capital-gains-tax

Today we're discussing the differences between the state House and state Senate budget plans in the Washington Legislature. We've got a handy new Policy Brief with a bar graph and chart comparing the two. With a scheduled April 23 adjournment date looming, and the House proposing $1.5 Billion more in tax revenues than the Senate, it seems unlikely lawmakers will complete their business in the regular session; a "special" session appears likely. To read our policy brief comparing the House and Senate budget plans, click here: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/04/opsidebyside.pdf

When then-President Obama signed the bipartisan "Every Student Succeeds Act" into law in late 2015, it marked a significant change in federal education policy. The previous law, President George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind," had grown increasingly controversial for what critics on both the left and right called excessive federal overreach into local education policy. Today we're talking with Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute about his new book - "The Every Student Succeeds Act: What It Means for Schools, Systems and States" - which gives readers an overview of both the evolution of federal education policy and the new law. Click here for Rick's book on the Every Student Succeeds Act: https://www.amazon.com/Every-Student-Succeeds-Act-ESSA/dp/1682530124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491318996&sr=8-1&keywords=the+every+student+succeeds+act Click here for Rick's page at AEI: http://www.aei.org/scholar/frederick-m-hess/

In today's episode we discuss Washington state's less-than-stellar system for tax appeals, and how it could be improved. We recently wrote a report on making the state tax-appeals process more fair -- which could include the creation of a state tax court. Bipartisan legislation to do just that has been introduced in the state Legislature this year. To read our report click here: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/02/taxappeals.pdf To read our blog post on tax court legislation click here: http://researchcouncil.org/2017/03/17/could-washington-get-a-tax-court

We're delighted to welcome state Rep. Drew Stokesbary (R-Auburn) to the podcast. As soon as we saw all the "Arrested Development" gifs populating his Twitter feed we knew he'd be the perfect guest. We sat down at the state Capitol in Olympia to chat about him being a younger member of the Legislature, how he got into politics and government and his approach to working across the aisle. Other random topics of discussion: Kim Jon Un and Dick Cheney. Plus, Drew fits in a reference to "The Office" and we totally miss it. Check out Rep. Stokesbary's website here: http://drewstokesbary.houserepublicans.wa.gov/ You can find Drew on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/stokesbary

In this episode we discuss our recent Special Report, "Using Tax Policy to Promote Economic Vitality." Too often, adjustments to our state tax system are portrayed simply as "breaks" that give certain industries and/or companies special treatment. But as our report shows, these adjustments play a crucial role in keeping Washington competitive with other states for jobs and economic activity that could very easily go elsewhere. To read our Special Report, click here: https://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/03/2017_tax_preferences_special_report_final.pdf

We're pleased to welcome state Rep. Brian Blake (D-Aberdeen), who took time out of his busy schedule during the legislative session to join our podcast. Rep. Blake represents the 19th Legislative District on Washington's southwest coast, a district whose counties have traditionally voted Democratic in presidential elections but last year largely went for Donald Trump. Jobs and the economy are hugely important, as is the case for most of Washington's rural residents. We discuss the issues and concerns of Rep. Blake's constituents, what led many of them to vote the way they did, and what might be done to address their concerns and not only improve their well-being, but also make sure state policy takes into account the distinct nature of rural communities. You can visit Rep. Blake's website here: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/brian-blake/

In this episode we offer a brief overview of the four-year balanced budget requirement passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor in 2012. To read our Policy Brief on the requirement (from May 2012), click here: https://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2013/08/2012balancedbudget.pdf To read our blog post (from April 2016) defending the four-year balanced budget requirement, click here: https://researchcouncil.org/2016/04/05/what-good-is-the-four-year-balanced-budget-requirement

The biggest job for the Washington state Legislature this year is public school funding for grades K through 12. Right now there are four major plans before lawmakers, all responding to the state Supreme Court's McCleary ruling, which found that the state is not fully funding basic education. We discuss all four plans in this episode. To read our Policy Brief offering a side-by-side comparison of the four plans click here: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/03/sidebyside.pdf To read our Policy Brief on Gov. Inslee's and the state House-passed plans, click here: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/02/gov1843.pdf To read our Policy Brief on the state Senate-passed plan, click here: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/02/ssb5607.pdf To read our blog post on another plan in the state Senate, click here: http://researchcouncil.org/2017/02/27/another-education-funding-plan-in-the-mix

Today's guest is Saumil Pandya, Senior Director of Policy & Research at PhRMA, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. We discuss the lengthy process of getting a drug to market; comparing the high prices of some drugs (such as those used to cure Hepatitis C) with the even higher prices of treatment, hospitalization and surgery; how the prescription drug industry interacts with Medicaid; and the price-reducing effects of drugs going off-patent and being available in generic form. Here are links to some of the studies and reports mentioned in this podcast: Washington Research Council report on "How Medicaid and Prescription Drug Spending Impact the State Budget:" http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2016/11/hca2016.pdf Tufts study on the average cost to develop and gain marketing approval for a new drug (summary): http://csdd.tufts.edu/news/complete_story/tufts_csdd_rd_cost_study_now_published Berkeley Research Group study on "The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain:" http://www.thinkbrg.com/assets/htmldocuments/Vandervelde_PhRMA-January-2017_WEB-FINAL.pdf Health Affairs Study, "Medication Adherence Leads To Lower Health Care Use And Costs Despite Increased Drug Spending:" http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/30/1/91.full.pdf+html

In this episode we briefly discuss basic education, which is at the heart of the state Supreme Court's McCleary ruling. In that ruling the court said the state is not fulfilling its constitutional "paramount duty" to fully provide for basic education in public schools.

In this 90 Seconds episode we briefly discuss the return of Initiative 1351, the voter-approved measure to reduce class sizes in grades K through 12. So far lawmakers have only funded K-3 class-size reductions, citing both budget concerns and research showing smaller class sizes have the most impact in grades K through 3.

In this 90 Seconds episode we briefly cover our recent report on Washington businesses' tax contributions to state and local governments, and our state's high rankings for the tax burdens it places on business. You can read the full report here: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/01/cost-tf_2017.pdf

In this 90 Seconds episode we give a quick summary of one of our recent reports, "The Economic Contribution of Washington State's Petroleum Refining Industry in 2015." You can read the report here: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/01/2016_refinery_report_010417.pdf

In this 90 Seconds episode we give you a quick update on where things stand on the McCleary decision, which requires the state to fully fund basic education, including highlights of proposals currently being considered by state lawmakers.

On today's InFocus podcast we're covering the latest news, including our new Policy Brief on business taxation in Washington state. Washington businesses pay 58 percent of state and local taxes, and have some of the highest tax burdens in the country. We also talk about the latest state budget outlook, and problems many school districts are facing with Washington's land-use law, the Growth Management Act. (Note: after we recorded this podcast, state Senate Republicans released their proposal for funding K-12 education. Here is The Seattle Times' article on it: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/state-senate-gop-releases-sweeping-schools-funding-plan/ And here is an article from The News Tribune of Tacoma: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article129141854.html)

On tap today is our new Special Report on Gov. Jay Inslee's proposed state budget for 2017-19. We go in depth on the governor's proposals for more than $4.7 billion in new spending and more than $4.3 billion in new and increased taxes. To read the report, click here: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2017/01/govop1719.pdf Visit our website here: http://researchcouncil.org/

Our last podcast of the year is in a pub, with special guest David Postman, Gov. Jay Inslee's chief of staff. We sit down over beers (and a Coke for Postman, who's on cold meds) at the delightful Hopvine Pub in Seattle to chat about Postman's career in journalism and now government, as well as what's in store for the upcoming legislative session.

Today's topic is the expanded state environmental regulations that, due to their arbitrary and excessive nature, threaten to send good-paying jobs - many of them union jobs - out of Washington state. We briefly discuss our recent Special Report on this topic ("The Expanded SEPA Has Reduced Regulatory Certainty in Washington"), then talk with Larry Brown, Legislative & Political Director of Aerospace Machinists Union District Lodge 751, about how the state's actions are negatively affecting union jobs. For more on our report, click here: http://researchcouncil.org/2016/10/24/special-report-expanded-state-environmental-regulations-have-negative-impacts-for-washington

This week Gov. Jay Inslee proposed a state operating budget for 2017-19. It would increase spending by $8.2 billion over the previous biennium - including $3.9 billion more for K-12 education - and raise taxes by $4.4 billion. His tax proposal includes a new capital gains tax. We delve into the details in this podcast. You can read our quick analysis of his budget proposal here: http://researchcouncil.org/2016/12/14/gov-inslee%E2%80%99s-proposed-budget-would-increase-spending-by-82-billion Our quick analysis of his education funding proposal is here: http://researchcouncil.org/2016/12/13/gov-inslee%E2%80%99s-education-proposal-would-increase-spending-by-39-billion-and-add-44-billion-in-new-taxes Our February 2015 Policy Brief on Gov. Inslee's previous capital gains tax proposal is here: https://researchcouncil.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/insleecapitalgainstaxfinal.pdf

New state revenue numbers are out, with good news for the state budget. However, there's still a big budget hole to fill in order to comply with the McCleary ruling, which requires full state funding of basic K-12 education by 2018. We also discuss new employment numbers, as well as the Obama administration overtime rule that's been suspended by a court order, and the latest on the City of Seattle's moves toward more restrictive regulations on employers. Here's a link to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics release on national employment numbers: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm Here's a link to Washington state's Monthly Employment Report from the state Employment Security Department: https://fortress.wa.gov/esd/employmentdata/docs/economic-reports/current-monthly-employment-report Here's the most recent Economic & Revenue Update from the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council: http://www.erfc.wa.gov/publications/documents/nov16.pdf Here's our blog post, Labor policy reprieves, in Seattle and the nation: http://researchcouncil.org/2016/11/23/labor-policy-reprieves-in-seattle-and-the-nation And here's our blog post on the City of Seattle's job-scheduling mandate: http://researchcouncil.org/2016/09/19/seattles-new-job-scheduling-mandate-union-recruiting-tool

Today's guest is Robert Merry, former CEO and editor-in-chief of Congressional Quarterly, and current contributing editor at The National Interest. Two years ago Robert wrote that Hillary Clinton "isn’t likely ever to become president of the United States." He didn't see a Trump presidency coming, but he has warned for years about the growing partisan deadlock and polarization in Washington, D.C., and believes Trump's election is a sign that voters have rejected the old political order. Robert offers some truly thoughtful insights into the current state of our political system, based on his many years as a journalist and editor covering Congress. Enjoy! (Also, apologies for the poor sound quality of this episode - our regular microphone gave out on us!) To read Robert Merry's prescient July 2014 op-ed, click here: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jul/18/merry-handicaps-in/ To read his articles in The National Interest, click here: http://nationalinterest.org/archives/by/2246 To read about his life and career, click here: http://www.com.washington.edu/2012/11/robert-merry-68-white-house-reporter-turned-national-interest-editor-sees-opportunity-for-young-journalists/

It's finally here, people: Election Day 2016. We've got Seattle Times political reporter Jim Brunner (follow him on Twitter @Jim_Brunner) joining us at the top of the podcast to talk Washington state campaigns, as well as his recent interview with independent Republican presidential candidate Evan McMullin. Next, we ruminate on the campaign season that was, guess who's going to win (we both pick Hillary), and speculate how the new president - and Democrats and Republicans in Congress - will react. To listen to The Seattle Times' new podcast, The Overcast, click here: http://www.seattletimes.com/tag/the-overcast-politics-podcast/ Jim Brunner's story on Evan McMullin is here: http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/trump-alternative-mcmullin-says-longshot-campaign-helps-stoke-new-conservative-fire/

We're delighted to have as our guest Joel Connelly, longtime scribe for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (seattlepi.com). Joel regales us with tales from his career in journalism covering politics and environmental issues, plus his earlier days as a volunteer for Eugene McCarthy in the 1968 presidential campaign and staffer for George McGovern in '72. Politics has certainly changed over the years: Joel notes that campaign fundraisers not only used to be open to the press, but they were bipartisan! This episode is longer than usual because there were just too many fascinating topics for us to cover. Enjoy! You can read Joel here: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/

Washington's apple industry alone accounts for 40,000 jobs in this state. Add to apples our state's other tree fruit crops - cherries, pears, peaches and the like - and you've got a major economic driver. In this episode we talk with the president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, Jon DeVaney, about the importance of international trade agreements to keeping the sector healthy and competitive. As Jon points out, trade agreements lead to predictable, consistent trade rules for Washington apples, one-third of which are exported overseas. For more information on the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, visit their website here: http://wstfa.org/

Today we're catching up on the McCleary court case and state efforts to fully fund public schools. We give an update on the latest filings with the state Supreme Court, as well as the actions of the Legislature's Education Funding Task Force. Here's a link to our blog post on the Attorney General's response to the Supreme Court: http://researchcouncil.org/2016/08/23/new-in-the-mccleary-case-the-ag-answers-the-supreme-courts-questions Here's a presentation by the superintendent of the Davenport School District on the funding challenges faced by small and rural school districts: https://app.leg.wa.gov/CMD/Handler.ashx?MethodName=getdocumentcontent&documentId=TFOVeYn4lWw&att=false Here are links to videos of past Education Funding Task Force meetings (the next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 6): April: http://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2016041037 May: http://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2016051027 June: http://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2016061106 July: http://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2016071015

This November Washington voters will decide the fate of Initiative 1433, which would raise the minimum wage to $13.50/hour statewide and mandate paid sick leave for all employees regardless of the employer's size. There are no exemptions for parts of the state that are less economically robust than the Puget Sound region. We discuss our new Special Report on I-1433, and the potential fallout if the initiative passes. To read the full report, click here: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2016/08/i1433.pdf

Our super-special guest this week is former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, who was kind enough to sit down with us and talk extensively about the 2016 presidential campaign and the state of American politics. Slade, who in June penned an op-ed for the Seattle Times ("Pray for a third-party candidate") blasting both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, covers a wide range of topics, including: the failure of the two parties in nominating "two of the least acceptable candidates in history;" increased partisanship in Congress to the point where neither party seems to represent the middle; why, and how, Republican debates should be reformed; his (dwindling) hope for a third-party candidate and why he'll vote Libertarian if no such candidate appears; and his suggestion to his former colleagues in the U.S. Senate to get rid of the filibuster rule for the sake of better government and collaboration. This episode is longer than usual because we just couldn't bring ourselves to cut short such a fascinating conversation. Enjoy! Here's the link to Slade's Seattle Times op-ed: http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/pray-for-a-third-party-candidate/

Today's guest is Eric Schinfeld, president of the Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT). He joins us to talk about the importance of trade, and international trade agreements, to Washington state. It's an especially timely topic given the newly controversial role trade is playing in the current presidential election: Both major candidates oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (also known as TPP), a pending trade deal between the United States and 11 other nations. WCIT has joined up with the Association of Washington Business, our state's chamber of commerce, on a new study outlining the many and significant ways TPP would benefit Washington state. To read the study, click here: http://wcit.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/FINALTPPStudy2016.pdf For more info from WCIT on TPP, click here: http://wcit.org/tpp/

In this episode we discuss our new Special Report on the Growth Management Act (GMA), Washington state's comprehensive land-use law, which was fully enacted 25 years ago. Our report covers the GMA's history and chief components, focuses specifically on how the GMA has worked in two counties, Snohomish and Spokane, and offers recommendations for improving the act. In addition to our usual thorough research, we interviewed a variety of people who've had, and continue to have, experience with GMA - those who largely support the act, and those who are critical of it. Here's a link to our blog post on the report: http://researchcouncil.org/2016/07/06/new-special-report-the-growth-management-act-at-25-years And here's a link to the report itself: http://researchcouncil.org/files/docs/2016/07/wrc_gma_report_july_6_2016_final_for_web.pdf

Today we're discussing a joint report recently published by the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution on poverty. Titled "Opportunity, Responsibility and Security: A Consensus Plan for Reducing Poverty and Restoring the American Dream," it seeks bipartisan policy solutions on the problem of poverty in the U.S. You can find the report here: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2015/12/aei-brookings-poverty-report/full-report.pdf You can watch a video of a panel discussion on the report here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bShYvQhlbQM

The Washington Research Council is out with a comprehensive report on K-12 education funding in Washington and the state Supreme Court's McCleary ruling, which mandates full state funding of basic education by 2018. In this episode we discuss the report, what the Legislature's done so far and what it still has left to do.

As chair of the House Public Safety Committee, state Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland), has taken a collaborative approach to lawmaking, bringing everyone to the table to write legislation on a variety of issues including impaired driving and domestic violence. In this episode we explore his process which emphasizes problem-solving over partisanship.

State Rep. Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island) was one of the key players in getting the 2015 transportation revenue package across the finish line. It was a long, contentious process, but in this week's episode she explains how persistence paid off.

We're thrilled to be talking with legendary journalist, columnist and commentator Mort Kondracke about this truly bizarre presidential election cycle. Mr. Kondracke is offering a preview of his upcoming speech at the Washington Research Council's 84th Annual Dinner May 19 in Bellevue.

With the 2016 legislative session behind us, we're looking ahead to what's sure to be an intense session next year. At the top of the list is full state funding of K-12 basic education, per the state Supreme Court's McCleary ruling. We talk this and other big issues coming up in 2017.

The state legislature adjourned March 29 after lawmakers agreed on a compromise supplemental operating budget. We discuss what's in the budget, plus the ever-present issue of K-12 education funding and the McCleary case.

Today we're looking at the two supplemental budget proposals in the state Legislature, from the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate.

Today we cover the state's preliminary economic forecast for February, as well as an interesting state Supreme Court ruling on a "community bill of rights" initiative in Spokane.

Democratic state Rep. Marcus Riccelli and Republican Rep. Hans Zeiger, members of the under-40 caucus in the Legislature, join us for a discussion on bipartisanship in Olympia.

In this episode we delve into Washington state's teacher shortage, as well as Gov. Jay Inslee's proposal to raise teacher and administrative and classified staff salaries and funding for new teacher mentoring.

In this episode we discuss minimum wage - as The Seattle Times reports, "[t]he International Franchise Association has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in its continuing fight against a part of Seattle’s $15 minimum-wage law the association says discriminates against franchise owners." Also the latest on McCleary, with legislation setting a timeline for achieving full state funding of K-12 basic education making its way though the Legislature. And finally, hip and knee replacement surgery is on the rise - what does it mean for quality of life and measuring output of our healthcare sector?

State Rep. Dan Kristiansen, the Republican leader in the state House, joins us to talk about the future of charter school legislation - he says there are enough votes to pass a Senate-approved bill, but the big question is if House leadership will allow it to be heard in committee. Also, he explains why getting more data from local school districts is so important for the final McCleary fix - turns out, some of the numbers legislators were originally given overstated how much state money the districts would need.