May Revise: Don’t Get Comfortable Yet

Verdict: Surprise! (And spoiler alert – there will be more surprises to come!)

The Governor’s draft budget rolled out in January with many unknowns, however what seemed apparent at the time was that red ink would spill and every dollar would be a fight. Five months later, our deficit for 2026-27 and 2027-28 appears to have been closed. Overall, that’s good news for every corner of governance.

However, the devil as always, is in the details.

Case in point – is there a deal to be struck on the Billionaire’s Tax? For folks who are anywhere near the legislature these days, there’s been a clamor amongst Democratic legislators in both houses for additional revenue measures for several years now.

Aside from revenue, what other surprises might the state budget hold? Will the Governor attempt to pass policy proposals from his State of the State address? Are other interests pressuring the legislature for quick fixes to their issues?

The upside for those of us on the outside is the 72-hour in-print rule, which certainly makes this a different experience than it once was. While 72 hours doesn’t seem like a long time, don’t underestimate what a team of quick-footed lobbyists and an incisive public affairs team can do in that short period of time.

And speaking of ballot initiatives (which we really haven’t been because apparently our Governor’s race is a really odd season of The Bachelor), what other deals might get cut in the coming weeks. The deadline looms to pull things off the November ballot. With tens and tens of millions in political spending at stake, assume someone will have the appetite for a deal.