Joint Finance Committee briefed on statewide decisions: revenue forecasts, health‑insurance costs and compensation options

Keith Bybee, Division Manager of Budget Policy Analysis for the Legislative Services Office, briefed the committee on the packet of statewide decisions that the Joint Finance Committee plans to set this week, including general fund revenue assumptions, personnel benefit cost adjustments, contract inflation, statewide cost allocation and change‑in‑employee‑compensation (CEC).

Bybee presented two revenue options: the governor’s recommendation for FY 2026 general fund revenue at $6,260,000,000 and the Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee’s recommendation at $6,400,000,000. He noted a distinction between the governor’s baseline used to frame the executive budget and the governor’s alternate forecast, and asked the committee to select a revenue figure to guide appropriation…