Tonight on ‘The Impact’: revenue forecast preview, natural resources reform

The Impact tonight is full of previews - a preview of the state’s September revenue forecast, a preview of possible reform efforts in the natural resources area of government, and a special sneak preview of TVW’s upcoming education series.

We start off with the quarterly Economic Revenue Forecast, due out Thursday, September 17.  Joining us is State Representative Ross Hunter, Chair of the House Finance Committee and Governor Gregoire’s Legislative Director Marty Brown. The governor’s supplemental budget is due out in December and the legislature will likely have to deal with a budget shortfall when it returns to Olympia in January.  Both Hunter and Brown offer their insights into the impact of this week’s revenue forecast on the budget and how soon Washington’s economy might recover.

Governor Gregoire spoke about it in her Inaugural address this past January – three scientists from three different agencies doing the same work in the same stream. This week a natural resources group working with the Governor’s office released its list of 26 different ideas to reform the natural resources area of state government. It includes streamlining the state’s permitting process and consolidating the work of many agencies to just two or three.  Now it’s your turn to weigh in on the ideas. Public comment runs through October 28. Joining us is the Governor’s Natural Resources Policy Advisor John Mankowski.

Finally, we’ll show you a sneak peak of TVW’s upcoming education series -  The Quest for Quality: The Debate Over Education Reform & Funding.  The special will air in two parts next Wednesday, September 23 at 8pm and Thursday, September 24 at 8pm.

Don’t miss The Impact, airing tonight at 7pm & 10pm on TVW and online: tvw.org.

Tags: Budget, education, natural resources, Reform, Revenue forecast