Lawmakers will begin a 60-day regular session on Monday, January 10. Our Union’s first priority will be to mitigate the impact of I-695 on local governments. The initiative has created budget shortfalls in local governments and has hit the smallest counties and cities the hardest. A number of ideas have been floated on how best to deal with the losses, with the Governor being first to step forward. His budget taps into the state reserve to help in the short run. Representatives of our Union have met with legislative leaders and the Governor’s office to express our concerns. Much more later.

Retirement – progress made

For the first time in recent memory, our efforts to improve the retirement system have gained the support of the Joint Committee on Pension Policy (JCPP). The committee appears to support lowering the actuarial reduction in P.E.R.S. II from 8% to 3% per year if you have 30 years of service and are at least 55 years old. There is also progress on the "big picture" of pension governance. The committee supports a bill sponsored by Cathy Wolfe (D) Olympia that would create a pension board that includes member Representatives. This board would have its own actuary and help create pension policies.

Plan III – an option?

Another first! The JCPP has indicated that the Plan III they have been shoving at us for 5 years may become an option, not mandatory. Current employees had an option but all new hires would have been forced into the new plan under previous bills. New school employees are slated to begin the mandatory Plan III in September. Please call your legislators and tell them that new school employees deserve the same option the new P.E.R.S. employees will have.

Early out for P.E.R.S. I

Our efforts to provide an early retirement option for P.E.R.S. I employees will receive more of the lawmakers attention this session. The reason, I-695! The Governor has asked that employees in specific state agencies that are being cut be given the option for early retirement. We will be asking the same for local government folks.

Collective bargaining for Deputy Prosecutors

SB 5152, the bill that restores collective bargaining for Deputy Prosecutors, will be pushed again this session. Our efforts should be made easier due to the fact that we start off with a bill that the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (WAPA) supports.

Raising bid limits for cities

SB 5469 needs your telephone calls. This is our continuous battle to raise bid limits so our folks can perform more work at a lower cost to the taxpayers. With I-695, this bill makes even more sense now.

Other issues

We will be working on these and other important issues for the next 60 days. Time will be short and our response time will be even shorter. Please check our website for updates. Your calls of support make a difference! Other issues include:

• Retiree medical
• Ergonomics protections
• Probation Officer disability

Please keep and post – Legislators

The prefix for your legislator’s telephone number is (360) 786
Legislative Hotline 1-800-562-6000
Dist. Title First Name Last Name Ph.#

1 Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe 7600
1 Rep. Al O’ Brien 7928
1 Rep. Jeanne Edwards 7900
2 Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen 7602
2 Rep. Roger Bush 7824
2 Rep. Tom Campbell 7912
3 Sen. Lisa Brown 7604
3 Rep. Jeff Gombosky 7946
3 Rep. Alex Wood 7888
4 Sen. Bob McCaslin 7606
4 Rep. Larry Crouse 7820
4 Rep. Lynn Schindler 7984
5 Sen. Dino Rossi 7608
5 Rep. Cheryl Pflug 7852
5 Rep. Brian Thomas 7876
6 Sen. James West 7610
6 Rep. Brad Benson 7922
6 Rep. Duane Sommers 7962
7 Sen. Bob Morton 7612
7 Rep. Cathy McMorris 7988
7 Rep. Bob Sump 7908
8 Sen. Patricia Hale 7614
8 Rep. Jerome Delvin 7986
8 Rep. Shirley Hankins 7882
9 Sen. Larry Sheahan 7620
9 Rep. Mark Schoesler 7844
9 Rep. Don Cox 7942
10 Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen 7618
10 Rep. David Anderson 7884
10 Rep. Kelly Barlean 7914
11 Sen. Margarita Prentice 7616
11 Rep. Eileen Cody 7978
11 Rep. Velma Veloria 7862
12 Sen. George Sellar 7622
12 Rep. Clyde Ballard 7999
12 Rep. Linda Evans Parlette 7832
13 Sen. Harold Hochstatter 7624
13 Rep. Gary Chandler 7932
13 Rep. Joyce Mulliken 7808
14 Sen. Alex Deccio 7626
14 Rep. Jim Clements 7856
14 Rep. Mary Skinner 7810
15 Sen. Jim Honeyford 7684
15 Rep. Bruce Chandler 7960
15 Rep. Barbara Lisk 7874
16 Sen. Valoria Loveland 7630
16 Rep. William Grant 7828
16 Rep. Dave Mastin 7836
17 Sen. Don Benton 7632
17 Rep. Marc Boldt 7994
17 Rep. Jim Dunn 7976
18 Sen. Joseph Zarelli 7634
18 Rep. Thomas Mielke 7850
18 Rep. John Pennington 7812
19 Sen. Sid Snyder 7636
19 Rep. Mark Doumit 7870
19 Rep. Brian Hatfield 7806
20 Sen. Dan Swecker 7638
20 Rep. Gary Alexander 7990
20 Rep. Richard DeBolt 7896
21 Sen. Paull Shin 7640
21 Rep. Mike Cooper 7950
21 Rep. Renee Radcliff 7972
22 Sen. Karen Fraser 7642
22 Rep. Sandra Romero 7940
22 Rep. Cathy Wolfe 7992
23 Sen. Betti Sheldon 7644
23 Rep. Karen Schmidt 7842
23 Rep. Phil Rockefeller 7934
24 Sen. Jim Hargrove 7646
24 Rep. Jim Buck 7916
24 Rep. Lynn Kessler 7904
25 Sen. Calvin Goings 7648
25 Rep. Jim Kastama 7968
25 Rep. Joyce McDonald 7948
26 Sen. Bob Oke 7650
26 Rep. Tom Huff 7802
26 Rep. Patricia Lantz 7964
27 Sen. Lorraine Wojahn 7652
27 Rep. Ruth Fisher 7930
27 Rep. Debbie Regala 7974
28 Sen. Shirley Winsley 7654
28 Rep. Michael Carrell 7958
28 Rep. Gigi Talcott 7890
29 Sen. Rosa Franklin 7656
29 Rep. Steve Conway 7906
29 Rep. Brian Sullivan 7996
30 Sen. Tracey Eide 7658
30 Rep. Mark Miloscia 7898
30 Rep. Maryann Mitchell 7830
31 Sen. Pam Roach 7660
31 Rep. Chris Hurst 7866
31 Rep. Michael Stensen 7846
32 Sen. Darlene Fairley 7662
32 Rep. Carolyn Edmonds 7880
32 Rep. Ruth Kagi 7910
33 Sen. Julia Patterson 7664
33 Rep. Karen Keiser 7868
33 Rep. Shay Schual-Berke 7834
34 Sen. Michael Heavey 7667
34 Rep. Dow Constantine 7952
34 Rep. Erik Poulsen 7938
35 Sen. Tim Sheldon 7668
35 Rep. William "Ike" Eickmeyer 7902
35 Rep. Kathy Haigh 7966
36 Sen. Jeanne Kohl 7670
36 Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson 7860
36 Rep. Helen Sommers 7814
37 Sen. Adam Kline 7688
37 Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos 7944
37 Rep. Kip Tokuda 7838
38 Sen. Jeri Costa 7674
38 Rep. Aaron Reardon 7864
38 Rep. Pat Scott 7840
39 Sen. Val Stevens 7676
39 Rep. Hans Dunshee 7804
39 Rep. John Koster 7816
40 Sen. Harriet Spanel 7678
40 Rep. Jeff Morris 7970
40 Rep. Dave Quall 7800
41 Sen. Jim Horn 7680
41 Rep. Ida Ballasiotes 7926
41 Rep. Mike Wensman 7894
42 Sen. Georgia Gardner 7682
42 Rep. Doug Ericksen 7980
42 Rep. Kelli Linville 7854
43 Sen. Pat Thibaudeau 7628
43 Rep. Frank Chopp 7920
43 Rep. Edward Murray 7826
44 Sen. Jeanine Long 7686
44 Rep. Dave Schmidt 7982
44 Rep. John Lovick 7892
45 Sen. Bill Finkbeiner 7672
45 Rep. Laura Ruderman 7822
45 Rep. Kathy Lambert 7878
46 Sen. Ken Jacobsen 7690
46 Rep. Jim McIntire 7886
46 Rep. Phyllis Kenney 7818
47 Sen. Stephen Johnson 7692
47 Rep. Jack Cairnes 7858
47 Rep. Phil Fortunato 7918
48 Sen. Dan McDonald 7694
48 Rep. Luke Esser 7936
48 Rep. Steve Van Luven 7848
49 Sen. Albert Bauer 7696
49 Rep. Don Carlson 7924
49 Rep. Val Ogden 7872