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Pew outlines state examples, interviews and tight timeline for contractor report
Summary
Josh Goodman of Pew Charitable Trusts presented a workplan to interview officials, compare other states' fiscal practices and deliver phase‑one findings this fall; Pew emphasized adapting out‑of‑state models to Washington’s context.
Josh Goodman, representing Pew Charitable Trusts, described the organization’s planned role as the nonpartisan contractor to assist the committee: 50‑state comparisons, interviews with state officials and staff, and tailored recommendations for Washington. He said Pew will conduct interviews of committee members and staff through August, synthesize findings, and bring preliminary results to the committee before the September meeting.
Goodman described three workstreams Pew will pursue for the committee: (1) revenue projections and spending assumptions in the four‑year outlook, (2) statutory cost drivers and their effect on carry‑forward and maintenance levels, and (3) relevant state practices that promote long‑term fiscal sustainability (examples included Pennsylvania, Arizona, Connecticut). He said the project will be iterative and tailored: "We have nearly 50 staff working on state fiscal topics ... and we'll be leaning on subject matter experts," Goodman said.
Pew proposed interviews with staff and committee members, preliminary findings to inform the September meeting, and a final staff‑reviewed report in mid‑November. Members asked follow‑up questions about volatility measures and whether Pew could update tax‑volatility analysis through more recent fiscal years; Pew said it could provide updated analyses on request.
