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| LEGISLATIVE REPORT #2 |
February 16, 2007 |
J. Pat Thompson
Deputy Director
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Legislature reviews plenty of ideas for state's future
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BY THE 37TH DAY of its 105-day session, lawmakers from both parties have no shortage of solutions to problems, or at least to what they foresee as problems.
With a little more than a third of the session behind them, lawmakers have introduced 2,185 bills and a few dozen resolutions. Many won’t even get a hearing, but none are dead until they leave town.
Council 2's Legislative Weekend
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MORE THAN 130 union members descended on the Capitol on February 1, 2 and 3 to learn and promote the issues that are important to local government employees.
Thursday evening was spent at a reception where members could informally meet with lawmakers from their districts.
Friday morning members filled two buses and headed to the Capitol to meet with their legislators and tour the buildings. A hosted lunch featured Representative Geoff Simpson, Chairman of the House Local Government Committee. Representative Simpson, a Kent Firefighter by trade, proved to be a crowd pleaser as he is truly one of us and entertained the group with personal stories of legislative life.
The afternoon featured a workshop by Audrey Eide, Council 2’s General Counsel about contract enforcement.
Thanks to the generosity of Locals 275 and 618, a hospitality room was enjoyed by all Friday evening.
The Legislative Committee met Saturday morning prior to the Executive Board meeting. Here’s a synopsis of the issues discussed.
GAIN SHARING: Members handed out a personal message to legislators asking them to oppose the gain-sharing take-away proposals.
HB 1771 and SB 5779 propose to eliminate Gain-sharing after a one-time payout in 2008. Members are encouraged to contact their legislators and ask them to oppose HB 1771 and SB 5779.
You can download our letter to your legislators and mail or fax it to them. Click here to download a copy of the letter.
"RULE OF 85": Last session's "Rule-of-90" has been one upped by a "Rule-of-85". It would change the current age 65 restriction to any combination of age and years of service that equal 85 (Example — age 60 with 25 years of service).
Members are encouraged to contact their legislators and ask them to support HB 1199.
(If you aren’t sure what district you are in, go to: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx and enter your home address and zip code.)
Paid family medical leave — HB 1658
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THESE BILLS create a fund that would allow workers who qualify for FMLA leave to receive $250 a week to care for family members. This money would be in addition to any compensated time employees may otherwise be entitled to (that is, sick leave, vacation comp time or disability pay).
This measure follows a California law passed recently and is funded by a 2-cents-an-hour payroll tax on all employees (about $40 a year for full-time). Part-time employees would receive a pro-rated rate and employees working under 680 hours per year (1/3 time) are not covered. Members are encouraged to contact their legislators and ask them to support HB 1658.
EVER SINCE I-695 (Eyman’s first big idea), public health funding has been slashed to dangerously low levels. At a time when West Nile Virus, Bird Flu and several other threats exist, our State’s investment in public health has been lagging. HB 1825 and SB 5729 would provide $100 million in new funding by redistributing a portion of the cigarette tax.
This proposal comes out of a study committee created last session and is vital to our State public health system.
Members are encouraged to contact their legislators and ask them to support HB 1825 and SB 5729.
A PANEL OF representatives from labor, business and the environmental communities testified in favor of two bills that would increase the accountability in the initiative process by requiring that signature gatherers register with the department of licensing and sign the petitions sheet they turn in.
Eyman and company, wishing to operate in the shadows, opposed the bills. Nearly $4.5 million has been spent on paid signature gatherers since 2002 and it’s about time the State finds out who is operating this industry that Eyman is profiting from.
Members are encouraged to contact their legislators and ask them to support HB 2019 and SB 2020.
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