Legislative Report #1, 2004

The Legislature kicked off its 2004 “short” session Monday, January 12th. Since the two-year budget is passed only in odd years, lawmakers give themselves 60 days to complete their business. Although the main budget is already set, a supplemental budget will be worked on, along with all other legislative matters introduced both last year and this year.

The political mix remains much the same as last session with the Democrats controlling the House 52 to 46 and the republicans calling the shots in the Senate with a one seat majority. The Senate leadership has changed significantly due to Jim West leaving to become the Mayor in Spokane and Dino Rossi leaving to run for governor. Senator Bill Finkbeiner (Kirkland) is the new Majority Leader and Senator Joe Zarelli (Ridgefield) has taken over as Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. Democratic Governor Locke is of course serving in his final year. It remains to be seen what will happen in this short session with a split legislature and an outgoing governor during a presidential election year, but we have a fairly aggressive agenda and your participation is key to its success. Your calls, e-mails and letters to legislators are even more critical due to the tight timelines.

Among the items we will be pursuing is additional funding for our local Area Agencies on Aging, mitigation for cities that will lose under the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement, initiatives signature forgeries, maintaining access to retiree health care coverage and the following pension legislation.
Select Committee on Pension Policy

The newly formed Select Committee on Pension Policy has put forth a number of beneficial bills for consideration of the legislature. Included are:

SB 6248/HB 2539 – Providing annual increases in retirement allowances.

SB 6253/HB 2538 – Establishing a $1,000 minimum monthly benefit for public employees’ retirement system plan I members and teachers’ retirement system plan I members who have at least 25 years of service and who have been retired at least 20 years.

SB 6252/HB 2536 – Permitting members of the public employees’ retirement system plan II and plan III and the school employees’ retirement system plan II and plan III to buy down the early retirement reduction amounts.

SB 6247/HB 2540 – Vesting after five years of service in the defined benefit portion of the public employees’ retirement system, the school employees’ retirement system, and the teachers’ retirement system plan III.

SB 6246/HB 2537 – Establishing a public safety employees’ retirement system plan II.

SB 6251/HB 2535 – Permitting members of the public employees’ retirement system plan II and plan III and the school employees’ retirement system plan II and plan III who qualify for early retirement or alternate early retirement to make a one-time purchase of additional service credit.

SB 6249/HB 2541 – Establishing an asset smoothing corridor for actuarial valuations used in the funding of the state retirement systems.

Bare bones budget passes

Although Local Government held its own during this bleak budget cycle there is little good news in the budget that passed both houses.

Early retirement incentives (HB 2180) weren’t provided for in the final document. An attempt was made to bring the cost of the bill down, but we couldn’t compete with the program cuts necessary to bring the budget into balance.

No salary increases were included for classified school employees and only a 5% increase was allocated for health benefit increases.

Although the State Library budget was reduced, funding was retained for local library assistance and the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library.

Presidential Caucus Set for Saturday, February 7th

Our country’s democracy is predicated on citizen involvement and there is no better way to become involved than to participate in your neighborhood democratic caucus. This year’s caucus should be an exciting one for two reasons, the first being the crowded field of qualified candidates. The second being the cancellation of the March Presidential Primary. The caucuses will be the only method for choosing who Washington State will support to advance to the November ballot. In order to coordinate our Union’s efforts to increase participation in the caucuses, we have asked two members to assist you in attending. Please don’t hesitate to contact them. They are: Westside: Kathryn Watanabe (Local 109) – 1-800-775-6418 Eastside: Anita Teague (Local 3939) – 1-800-932-4850

Please keep and post (2004 Legislators)

The prefix for your legislator’s telephone number is (360) 786 -
Legislative Hotline 1-800-562-6000

Title	First Name	Last Name	Ph.#	e-mail
District 1
Sen.	Rosemary	McAuliffe	7600	mcauliff_ro@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Al	O'Brien	7928	obrien_al@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Jeanne	Edwards	7900	edwards_je@leg.wa.gov

District 2
Sen.	Marilyn	Rasmussen	7602	rasmusse_ma@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Roger	Bush	7824	bush_ro@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Tom	Campbell	7912	campbell_to@leg.wa.gov
District 3
Sen.	Lisa	Brown	7604	brown_li@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Alex	Wood	7888	wood_al@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Timm	Ormsby	7946	ormsby_ti@leg.wa.gov
District 4
Sen.	Bob	McCaslin	7606	mccaslin_bo@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Larry	Crouse	7820	crouse_la@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Lynn	Schindler	7984	schindle_ly@leg.wa.gov

District 5
Sen.	Cheryl	Pflug	7608	pflug_ch@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Glenn	Anderson	7876	anderson_gl@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Vacant	Position
District 6
Sen.	Brian	Murray	7610	murray_br@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Brad	Benson	7922	benson_br@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	John	Ahern	7962	ahern_jo@leg.wa.gov
District 7
Sen.	Bob	Morton	7612	morton_bo@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Cathy	McMorris	7988	mcmorris_ca@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Bob	Sump	7908	sump_ro@leg.wa.gov
District 8
Sen.	Patricia	Hale	7614	hale_pa@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Jerome	Delvin	7986	delvin_je@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Shirley	Hankins	7882	hankins_sh@leg.wa.gov
District 9
Sen.	Larry	Sheahan	7620	sheahan_la@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Mark	Schoesler	7844	schoesle_ma@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Don	Cox	7942	cox_do@leg.wa.gov
District 10
Sen.	Mary Margaret	Haugen	7618	haugen_ma@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Barry	Sehlin	7884	sehlin_ba@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Barbara	Bailey	7914	bailey_ba@leg.wa.gov
District 11
Sen.	Margarita	Prentice	7616	prentice_ma@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Zack	Hudgins	7956	hudgins_za@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Velma	Veloria	7862	veloria_ve@leg.wa.gov
District 12
Sen.	Linda	Evans Parlette	7622	parlette_li@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Mike	Armstrong	7832	armstron_mi@leg.wa.gov
Rep.	Cary	Condotta	7954	condotta_ca@leg.wa.gov

J. Pat Thompson Director of Legislation/Political Action

SB 6248/HB 2539 – Providing annual increases in retirement allowances.

SB 6253/HB 2538 – Establishing a $1,000 minimum monthly benefit for public employees’ retirement system plan I members and teachers’ retirement system plan I members who have at least 25 years of service and who have been retired at least 20 years.

SB 6252/HB 2536 – Permitting members of the public employees’ retirement system plan II and plan III and the school employees’ retirement system plan II and plan III to buy down the early retirement reduction amounts.

SB 6247/HB 2540 – Vesting after five years of service in the defined benefit portion of the public employees’ retirement system, the school employees’ retirement system, and the teachers’ retirement system plan III.

SB 6246/HB 2537 – Establishing a public safety employees’ retirement system plan II.

SB 6251/HB 2535 – Permitting members of the public employees’ retirement system plan II and plan III and the school employees’ retirement system plan II and plan III who qualify for early retirement or alternate early retirement to make a one-time purchase of additional service credit.

SB 6249/HB 2541 – Establishing an asset smoothing corridor for actuarial valuations used in the funding of the state retirement systems.

The prefix for your legislator’s telephone number is (360) 786 - Legislative Hotline 1-800-562-6000

District 1

O'Brien

District 2

District 3

District 4

District 5

District 6

District 7

District 8

District 9

District 10

District 11

J. Pat Thompson
Director of Legislation/Political Action

The prefix for your legislator’s telephone number is (360) 786 -
Legislative Hotline 1-800-562-6000