ALERT: Bill to Turn Back 2003 UI Reforms Heard in House – Tell Legislators “Hands Off” Reforms!
HB 2255, a regressive attempt to roll back the 2003 unemployment insurance reforms, was heard in the House Commerce and Labor Committee. AWB strongly opposes this bill. Go to www.awb.org and tell your legislators to say “NO” to HB 2255 and allow the new UI reforms to start working. Contact AWB’s Mellani Hughes McAleenan at (360) 943-1600 or MellaniM@awb.org.

Death Tax Hurts Business – Tell Legislators “NO” to This Destructive Policy!
AWB is disappointed that both the Senate and Gov. Gregoire have chosen to revive the death tax as part of their budgets. This cruel tax is enormously damaging to family businesses. Go to www.awb.org and let your legislators know that state government needs to learn to live within its means instead of raising taxes. Tell them that the death tax is NOT acceptable policy. Nevertheless, we are glad that the budget avoids increases in sales, business and property taxes. Contact Tom McBride at (360) 943-1600 or TomM@awb.org.

Good News for Business – Reference Check Bill Gaining Support!
HB 1625, which would make it much easier for employers to perform employee reference checks, received a very positive reception at its hearing last week before the Senate Commerce, Labor, Technology & Research Committee. We expect the bill will be sent to the Senate floor for a vote. Go to www.awb.org and tell your senator to support this bill. Contact AWB’s Kris Tefft at (360) 943-1600 or KrisT@awb.org.

Family Leave Bill Receives House Hearing – AWB Blasts This Onerous Mandate!
Following the Senate’s approval of E2SSB 5069, the Family Leave Bill, the House Commerce and Labor Committee gave this burdensome legislation a hearing last week. AWB was there to argue strongly against this bill, which will be incredibly expensive for business. Go to www.awb.org and tell your representative to oppose this bill. Contact Kris Tefft at (360) 943-1600 or KrisT@awb.org.

AWB Opposes HB 2069 – Government Run “Solutions” are No Real Solution to Health Care Costs!
AWB supports reducing health care costs for all employers – small and large. HB 2069 is not the solution to affordable health care for small employers. The state should improve the private market, not become an insurance broker. This proposal does not address key drivers of health care costs and will not reduce costs for those buying in the private market. Imposing a government run solution could have the opposite effect. Contact your legislators and tell them the state must allow the private sector the freedom to design plans that are affordable to small employers, not sell it themselves. Contact AWB’s Mellani Hughes McAleenan at (360) 943-1600 or MellaniM@awb.org.

Outsourcing Bill to Be Heard In Senate – AWB Has Serious Concerns!
HB 2257, a misguided, protectionist measure that would place restrictions on state contractors that engage in offshore outsourcing, will be heard in the Senate this week. AWB will be there to argue persuasively against this counterproductive legislation. Go to www.awb.org and tell your senator that Washington – the most foreign trade dependent state in the Union – does not need protectionist burdens, like HB 2257, which would hold back our economy. Contact Kris Tefft at (360) 943-1600 or KrisT@awb.org.

Keiser and Cody at Last Week’s Lobby Lunch – Admit That “Pay or Play” is Dead….For Now!
Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Seattle, and Rep. Eileen Cody, D-Kingston, the committee chairs of the Senate and House health care committees and the primary architects of this year’s “pay or play” legislation, admitted at last week’s Lobby Lunch that their health care scheme will not pass the current Legislature. Keiser called for benchmarks to increase health care quality, citing that 50 percent of the money spent on patient care is ineffective. Cody called on business to come to an agreement on a certificate of need bill she is sponsoring, which would regulate the number of new medical institutions that could open in the state.

Swecker at Next Lobby Lunch – Will Provide GOP View of Budget and Other Issues!
Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, will provide perspectives on the legislative sessions from the viewpoint of the Senate minority caucus. Contact AWB’s Alisha Boggs at (360) 943-1600 or AlishaB@awb.org.

Sin Taxes Shown to Be Poor Policy in WashACE Briefs – Check Them Out on the Web!
This year, WashACE has produced a six competitiveness briefs dealing with health care, unemployment insurance and taxes. All of the briefs can be found on the Washington Research Council Web site: www.researchcouncil.org. The Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy has released a competitiveness brief titled: “Wallowing in Sin Taxes." The brief argues that taxes on cigarettes, liquor, beer, wine, soda, candy, gum and gambling are not a sustainable solution to the state’s structural budget gap. Modeling with the WRC/REMI model of the Washington economy indicates that a package of sin taxes generating $783 million in the upcoming biennium would cost the state on the order of 3,000 jobs by 2010. See the brief at http://researchcouncil.blogs.com/weblog/2005/03/index.html#a0004038741.  The Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy (WashACE) is a partnership between the Association of Washington Business, Washington Roundtable and the Washington Research Council. It was formed in 1999 to address the state’s competitiveness, create jobs and business to invest, build and modernize facilities in Washington. Contact Kriss Sjoblom at (206) 467-7088 or KSjoblom@researchcouncil.org.

Legislative Session Cutoff Coming Friday – Reach Lawmakers at www.awb.org!
The 2005 legislative session just keeps moving along. This Friday will be the cutoff date for bills to be reported out of committee in the opposite house. It is utmost importance to contact your legislators before and let them know what you think of bills under consideration in committee. AWB.org has just launched a new feature making it easier to find and contact your representatives in Olympia. A "Send Message" feature has been added to the profiles of each and every member of the State House or Senate. Just fill in your information and send your comments directly over the web. You can even send yourself a copy of your message for your records. Access this feature by going to www.awb.org and search for your representative under "Find Your Legislator." For an advanced search, go to www.awb.org/members/electionguide/search.asp. For more information, contact AWB's Lex Nepomuceno at AlexisN@awb.org.

Governor Engler to Speak at Spring Board Meeting – Register Early!
Former Michigan Governor John Engler, the new president of the National Association of Manufacturers, will be our keynote speaker on May 24 at the AWB Annual Spring Board meeting in Spokane. We will meet at the Davenport. Mark your calendars and make your reservations. Contact AWB’s Amy Johnson at (360) 943-1600 or AmyJ@awb.org.

Have Your Company’s Contribution to Community Service Recognized!
AWB is presenting a series of Community Service Awards to recognize our members’ volunteerism and contributions, which make our communities better places in which to live and work. The Community Service Awards will be presented during a special dinner held in conjunction with the May 24 AWB Annual Spring Meeting in Spokane. Submit your applications before Friday, April 22 at www.awb.org/services/awards/csaawards.asp.

Showcase Your Company – Become a Northwest Environmental Summit Sponsor Today!
Get your company the recognition it deserves by becoming a sponsor for the 2005 Environmental Conference, Oct. 19 and 20 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. Call AWB’s Jennifer Davis at (360) 943-1600 or JenniferD@awb.org.

Labor Law Posters Available – Order Now!
Agencies of both the state and federal governments require various postings be available in a common area regularly visited by employees where they have an unobstructed opportunity to read them. Recently, legislation amended the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) requiring employers to post a new notice providing information about the rights of military service personnel to job reinstatement and other benefits. As of March 10, 2005, posting this information is mandatory. Contact AWB’s Amy Johnson at (360) 943-1600 or AmyJ@awb.org to order your labor law poster. In the meantime, before you order and receive your AWB labor law poster, you may download, print and post a temporary USERRA-compliant poster from the U.S. Dept. of Labor at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/poster.pdf.

AWB’s HealthChoice – A Great Health Care Alternative!
Looking for affordable, quality health insurance for you and your employees? If so, AWB HealthChoice could be the right choice. Plans offered have deductibles ranging from $250 - $1000 and three Health Savings Account (HSA) options are also available. Companies with a minimum of two employees qualify for coverage. For benefit information, contact Helen Siggins at (866) 448-9577.

Check Out www.JobMakers.com- Track Your Legislators on How They’re Doing to Keep Our Economic Recovery Moving!
AWB’s JobMaker’s Web site is up and running. Other states are adopting it as a prototype. JobMakers is a cooperative partnership between AWB and the Washington Roundtable. Check it out and see how your legislators are doing! Then e-mail them by connecting to our Web site www.awb.org. Listen for two new radio ads, produced by AWB and WashACE, that mention JobMakers.com.