TOP STORIES
AWB Regional Meetings start Tuesday—Plan to attend and give us your input!
AWB’s regional meetings start tomorrow morning in Vancouver, then spread across the state to the Tri-Cities and Moses Lake on Wednesday, and Spokane and Yakima on Thursday. Next week, the meetings continue Sept. 9 in Tacoma and Bellingham, and Sept. 10 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 go over 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 are invited to attend. Click here for details on the meeting locations or contact AWB’s Bonnie Millikan.


Public questions wisdom of Congress’ health care plan, AWB members urged to express their concerns
In town meetings across the country, the public is urging its representatives in Congress to slow down and think carefully before rushing through heath care legislation that will be expensive and lead to diminished quality in medical care and less choice. While the public is turning against this misguided reform, the battle is far from over. AWB urges its members to become involved in the national debate over health-care reform by sharing their concerns with their lawmakers.


Climate change legislation costly to Washington state
When Congress reconvenes following its August recess, it will resume work on climate change legislation that would establish a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions. If it passes, Washington’s economy will suffer. The National Association of Manufacturers and the American Council for Capital Formation estimate the impacts on our state by 2030 would include the loss of 41,456 to 56,459 jobs, a decrease in disposable income of $696 to $1,213 per year, a rise in gasoline prices of 21 to 27 percent, a 19 percent jump in electricity prices, a 77 percent increase in natural gas prices, and a decrease in Washington’s gross state product of $11.8 billion. Read more on AWB’s blog, Olympia Business Watch.


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 share your ideas, too.


Employer input needed for H1N1 survey
Health officials are warning of widespread outbreak of the H1N1 virus known as swine flu this fall, with peak outbreak predicted to arrive before October. As the business liaison to the state’s Emergency Management Division, AWB is working to provide health officials and emergency responders with critical input from employers about how this influenza outbreak could affect business in our state. Do you have the information you need to keep your doors open? What information do you want or need on this issue? Please take a moment to complete this brief online survey. Your comments and suggestions will be shared directly with officials working to prepare our state in advance of a major flu outbreak. For questions, please contact AWB Vice President of Operations Dick Walter.


AWB joins special summit on H1N1 flu
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, 1 - 5 p.m., Gov. Chris Gregoire will hold a special summit on the swine flu situation in the state. AWB will be there representing the business community. Topics will include strategies for vaccinating the public, how the community will be affected, and communicating this vital information. TVW plans to Webcast the event, which will include a special announcement from the governor.


Call it what you want: AWB's holiday tree helps families in need
AWB’s Holiday Kids’ Tree tradition remains alive and well after a ruling on Monday by the Department of Administration regarding public displays at the state Capitol. AWB coordinates the program that has collected thousands of gifts and over $300,000 in cash donations for families who need them most over the last 20 years. AWB will host the program again this December, and hopes the frenzy over the symbol of the event will not obscure the good will of the program. Read more on AWB’s blog, Olympia Business Watch.


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 and is asking for comments by Monday, Aug. 31. 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
First reseller notification letters will arrive this week
The Department of Revenue will notify 41,000 contractors if they will receive a reseller permit by Wednesday, Sept. 2. These employers must fill out the application they receive with the notification in order to actually receive the permit. By Tuesday, Sep. 8, other businesses with automatic eligibility for the permit will receive notice. By Monday, Sept. 14, businesses that have not received notice must apply for the permit. The 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.


Summer issue of Washington Business now in print, online
Find out how legislators fared this past session in relation to business issues with the new issue of Washington Business magazine. Our 2009 legislative review provides analysis of everything from the economy and environment to unemployment insurance. Check your mailbox or view it in full online.


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!


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 in Moses Lake (Wednesday, Sept. 30, 9 – 10:30 a.m., Big Bend Community College, ATEC Building); Olympia (Thursday, Oct. 1, 9 – 10:30 a.m., General Administration Building, Auditorium); andEverett (Friday, Oct. 2, 9 – 10:30 a.m., 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.


Business Week completes first-ever program in Poland
Business Week, the high school economic education program started by AWB in 1976, traveled abroad this year and last week completed the first ever week-long program in Poland. Steve Hyer, executive director, said the program went exceptionally well. Look for more details in the next issue of Washington Business magazine.


Shared Work Program an alternative to layoffs
Employers seeking to avoid layoffs may want to consider the Washington State Employment Security Department’s new Shared Work Program. Here’s how it works: Employers can temporarily reduce the work hours of their full-time employees by up to 50 percent, while the workers collect partial unemployment benefits to replace a portion of their lost wages. This allows employees to maintain their income and benefits while employers retain skilled workers. More than 2,000 businesses and nearly 42,000 employees are currently participating in the program. To learn more, visit the ESD Web site or call 800.752.2500.


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!


Students looking to partner with AWB members for PR projects
Seniors in Pacific Lutheran University’s public relations department are looking to partner with Washington state businesses as part of their requirement for a senior-level PR planning and management course this fall. Students would conduct the research necessary to create a PR plan and write any PR tactics, such as news releases, promotional collateral, etc.In turn, businesses will be asked to provide information and feedback—and, if possible, to implement the plan. If your business is interested in working with students on this project, please contact AWB’s Vice President of Communications Jocelyn McCabe.


Don’t miss AWB’s new Member Spotlight
Looking for signs of life in Washington’s business community during this recession? Look no further than AWB’s Member Spotlight where you’ll learn about 15 AWB members that made the Inc. 500/5000 list of the fastest growing U.S. companies. We’ve also recently published stories on AWB members who won the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Faces of Trade Award; Longview Fibre; Insitu, Inc.; Apex Karting and Westshare Services. If you have a good news story about your company, send it to AWB’s Paul Schlienz.


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’ CompWebinar Oct. 21 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
“This is the answer from a doctor and a politician. Here’s why tort reform is not in the bill. When you go to pass a really enormous bill like that, the more stuff you put in it, the more enemies you make, right?And the reason that tort reform is not in the bill is because the people who wrote it did not want to take on the trial lawyers in addition to everyone else they were taking on. And that is the plain and simple truth.” - Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont and Democratic National Committee chairman


This Week's President's Perspective: Reforest forests not farmlands