TOP STORIES
AWB brings employer groups together in support of quality health care
AWB led the effort to coordinate 20 state chambers and employer groups in the development of Employers for Quality Health Care. The group gives individual employers – who provide 61 percent of health care coverage in the U.S. – a direct link to their congressional delegates. “We want to actively engage and encourage our members and others like them nationwide to go on record about the impact of the proposed changes on them as employers,” AWB President Don Brunell said. Employers can keep pace with changes to health care legislation and continue their conversations via the social media platforms Facebook and Twitter (@stchmbrs4health). With Congress going back into session this week, it is vitally important that the business community stay informed. Read more at AWB’s blog, Olympia Business Watch.


AWB Regional Meetings: Plan to attend and give us your input!
AWB’s regional meetings continue tomorrow in Tacoma and Bellingham and Thursday in Mountlake Terrace and Bellevue. The purpose of the meetings is to receive member input on our 2010 legislative objectives. During the first part of the meeting, local legislators will provide their views on issues and AWB priorities. Following the legislative presentations, AWB staff will review the proposed legislative objectives for 2010. Final action of the legislative objectives will come on Monday, Sept. 24 at the Policy Summit at Suncadia. All AWB members and prospective members are invited to attend. Click here for details on the meeting locations. To register for a meeting in your district, contact AWB’s Bonnie Millikan.


Unemployment rises to 9.7 percent, 216,000 jobs lost in August
The U.S. job market’s long, steep decline continued in August. The jobless rate hit 9.7 percent from 9.4 percent in July as employers continued cutting jobs, with a total of 216,000 lost in August. A grand total of 6.9 million jobs have been lost since the recession began in December 2007. If people who have given up looking for work out of frustration and who work part time, but want full-time work are included, the unemployment rate rose to 16.8 percent, from 16.3 percent. Read more at the Washington Post. Meanwhile, Dr. Arun Raha, executive director of Washington’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, declared last Friday “the recession is over, but the recovery is fragile.”


AWB files friend of the court brief in important land use case
At the request and invitation of the Washington Supreme Court, AWB earlier today filed a friend of the court brief in an important land use case, Kelly v. Chelan County. The case involves a new question of law in Washington: Do the deadlines contained in land use permits continue to run after a lawsuit has been filed challenging the permit, or does the lawsuit automatically suspend the permit deadlines until after the lawsuit is resolved? AWB’s brief argues for the common sense rule that permit timelines are suspended until legal challenges are resolved.For a copy of the brief or for more information, contact AWB’s Kris Tefft or Chris McCabe.


AWB at special summit on H1N1 flu
Today, Gov. Chris Gregoire held a special summit to discuss preparations for a significant swine flu outbreak this fall in Washington state. More than 2,500 Washington State University students have already reported flu-like symptoms since classes began last month. Representatives from more than 60 agencies attended the event; AWB represented the business community at the summit, sharing the results of last week’s informal survey on the issue. Topics today included strategies for vaccinating the public, how the community will be affected and communicating this vital information to the public. TVW will rebroadcast the event Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday at 8 p.m. Watch this newsletter, along with AWB’s Web site and blog, for updates and information on this important public health issue.


Study: Trial lawyer ads for medical malpractice up 1,400 percent
The spending and frequency of ads placed by trail lawyers focusing on medical malpractice increased massively since 2004. According to a new study released by the TNSMI/Campaign Media Analysis Group, the number of ads placed by this group grew by 1,400 percent and spending increased more than 1,500 percent. On average, more than $62 million was spent each year for the last three years on these advertisements. For more on this topic, visit AWB’s blog, Olympia Business Watch.


September is National Preparedness Month
September is National Preparedness Month. Special events and promotions are scheduled across the state to focus individuals and businesses on the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies, including:

· A statewide drop, cover and hold earthquake drill at 10:15 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 16
· Business Resiliency Webinar to highlight business preparedness steps, Wednesday, Sept. 23
· Green River Valley Flooding Emergency Preparedness Symposium, Wednesday, Sept. 23

The state’s Emergency Management Division encourages all businesses to send best practice examples of how companies plan and prepare for unexpected events. In April 2010, the EMD will recognize outstanding companies that are leaders in disaster preparedness. Please send information on what your business is doing to prepare for disasters to Wendy Freitag, business liaison for the EMD.


AWB’s 20^th Annual Policy Summit Sept. 22-24 at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum
The 2009 AWB Policy Summit is designed to help reduce the uncertainty of today’s tumultuous economic times. We've assembled a team of national and local experts to chart a course through the turbulence, including pollster John Zogby and former presidential adviser David Gergen. Also, don’t miss Harrison Schmitt, the former Apollo astronaut who will discuss the future of America’s space program. Additionally, we’ll kick off the summit with a unique opportunity to play Suncadia’s Prospector course — one of the most outstanding golf courses in the state — at significantly reduced prices. Great golf, superb camaraderie with your friends both old and new, generous prizes and autumn sun in a mountainous setting await. Space is limited, so register early. To register, contact AWB’s Jennifer Costello. You can follow www.twitter.com/AWBsummit before and during the summit to ask questions and discuss the issues, too.


KEY HEARINGS, MEETINGS
MTCA Task Force meeting, Sept. 14
Mark your calendars and plan to attend AWB’s next Model Toxics Control Act Task Force meeting on Monday Sept. 14, 10 a.m. – noon, at AWB. The Department of Ecology’s effort currently underway to revise the MTCA cleanup regulation and portions of the Sediment Management Standards rule will be discussed. Dave Bradley, Ecology’s toxic cleanup program information and policy section manager, will walk us through the proposal and field questions and comments from AWB members. Ecology has posted 14 issue summary papers on its Web site; background on the rulemaking, amendments under consideration, issue papers and more is posted here. For more information, contact AWB’s Grant Nelson.


AWB Climate Change Subcommittee meets Sept. 16
The AWB Climate Change Subcommittee will meet Wednesday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. – noon, at AWB. On the agenda: discussion and recommendations for changes to AWB’s climate change legislative objective document, which outlines the current status of climate-related policies; problems that need to be addressed; and solutions to address those problems next session. For more information and to obtain the draft climate change legislative objective, contact AWB’s Grant Nelson.


OTHER NEWS
Want a reseller’s permit? Apply by Sept. 14
If you want a reseller’s permit for your business, but have not previously received notice of eligibility, you must apply for the permit by Monday, Sept. 14. The state Department of Revenue intends to make a decision on all applications within 10 days of receipt, although the process may take up to 60 days. AWB is working with DOR on draft rules about the permit, the application process and how to appeal. For more information or if you need help in filling out your permit application, contact AWB’s Amber Carter.


Mark your calendars for Washington Small Business Fair, Sept. 12
The Washington Small Business Fair or “Biz Fair” is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12 at Renton Technical College. The fair draws 600-1,000 new and existing small business owners from around the state and organizers are expecting a large crowd this year due to the economy. This is one of the best opportunities for new and prospective small business owners to get all the information they need in one place and at the right price — free!


Nominees sought for new Corporations for Communities Awards
Businesses that give back have just a week to be nominated for statewide and national recognition that honors their community spirit. The fall deadline for being considered for the Office of Secretary of State’s Corporations for Communities Awards is Tuesday, Sept. 15.The winner will be announced in mid-October. The public is urged to nominate any Washington business that demonstrates a commitment to giving and a drive to improve local or regional social conditions. Nomination forms are available here.


Dept. of Commerce to hold public hearings on GMA Administrative Guidelines Update
The Department of Commerce is holding a series of public meetings on changes on its rules for providing local governments with guidance on Growth Management Act compliance and implementation. The meetings will be held:

· Wednesday, Sept. 30 in Moses Lake from 9 – 10:30 a.m. at Big Bend Community College, ATEC Building.
· Thursday, Oct. 1 in Olympia from 9 – 10:30 a.m. at General Administration Building, Auditorium.
· Friday, Oct. 2 in Everett 9 – 10:30 a.m. at Everett Community College, Whitehorse Hall.

E-mail your comments or mail them to Washington State Department of Commerce, Growth Management Services, Attn: WAC Update, 906 Columbia St. SW, Olympia, WA 98504-2525. Click here for more information and to view the proposed changes. The Department of Commerce will accept comments on the proposed rule through Friday, Oct. 2.


Apply now for Best Companies for Hourly Workers list
Register now for the Best Companies for Hourly Workers list. Corporate Voices for Working Families and Working Mother will honor companies dedicated to creating and using best practices to support hourly workers. Applications will be accepted until Friday, Oct. 16. Winners will be highlighted in the Working Mother 2010 issue. Any company with a minimum of 500 employees in the United States, 50 percent of whom are nonexempt, may apply.


Are you ready to reopen if your business experiences an unexpected event?
Don’t miss “A Roadmap to Business Resiliency” – a free Webinar for small businesses on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1 – 2:30 p.m. With speakers from the Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Small Business Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, this Webinar will provide a roadmap for businesses on where to invest time and effort with the goal of being able to “bounce back” from a variety of unexpected events that might impact their business. Be sure to register early!


AWB EVENTS & RESOURCES
2009 Safety Academy
AWB has partnered with Sedgwick CMS to offer courses for safety and non-safety professionals who wish to increase their safety knowledge and effectiveness in developing and administering safety programs within their companies. Classes will be offered in Spokane, Seattle, Moses Lake and Olympia. You can find class listings and registration information online or contact AWB’s Jennifer Costello for additional information.


OSHA 10-hour certification course in DuPont Oct. 15-16
Get current on the latest in safety training and OSHA standards. Classes will be held both days from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the State Farm Education Center in DuPont. At completion of the course, you will receive an official course completion card from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA. This card will be useful during an inspection, as it demonstrates your efforts and commitment to voluntary compliance with all OSHA standards and regulations! Register online or contact AWB’s Jennifer Costello.


Developing Issues in Workers’ Comp Webinar Oct. 21 at 10 a.m.
Workers’ comp premiums in our state are paid by the hour and in this economy, reported hours are way down. And in this volatile market, trust fund reserves are down. And yet Washington continues to offer some of the highest workers’ comp benefits in the country. Where will this lead? Join us for a 60-minute Webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 10 a.m., to look at the economic and benefit issues that will drive next year’s workers’ comp premiums and the top reform issues employers are expected to seek in the Legislature to keep our workers’ comp costs under control. Visit the AWB Web site for more information or contact AWB’s Jennifer Costello.


THEY SAID IT
“Preserving patient choice (through a flourishing private sector) is the only way to prevent a health care monopoly from denying care arbitrarily, as we learned from HMOs in the recent past. While a government monopoly would not be motivated by profit, it would be motivated by such bureaucratic standards as quotas and defined "best procedures," which are equally beyond the influence of most citizens. The proper role of the government is to regulate the private sector, in order to foster healthy competition and to curtail abuses. Therefore any legislation that undermines the viability of the private sector is suspect.” – Bishop R. Walker Nickless, Diocese of Sioux City


This Week's President's Perspective: Replicate success, not failure