TOP STORIES
Governor unveils plan to cut red tape
Gov. Chris Gregoire unveiled a wide-ranging plan today to cut red tape by consolidating agencies and programs with overlapping responsibilities, eliminating unnecessary boards and commissions and providing online customer service. AWB President Don Brunell joined the governor for the announcement in Olympia. “Today, more than ever, we need a government that is nimble and responsive to its owners — the citizens of our state,” said Brunell. “The reforms outlined today are a good first step toward providing the kind of state government we need. Given the challenges our state is facing, we must scour every part of state government from top to bottom, eliminate duplication and provide efficiencies.” Read the full press release on today’s announcement.|


AWB members speak out against climate change legislation
More than 300 people attended hearings in the House and Senate last week on the governor’s cap and trade legislation. The two measures, HB 1819, sponsored by Rep. Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines, and SB 5735, sponsored by Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Bainbridge Island, would implement a regional cap and trade program linking Washington with other states and Canadian provinces as part of the Western Climate Initiative. AWB and member organizations testified against both bills, citing grave economic consequences for Washington citizens and businesses across all sectors of the economy and the potential for huge losses of jobs at a time when our economy is struggling to stay afloat. Wednesday’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer captured testimony from the hearing, including comments by AWB members. You can also view AWB’s testimony on Olympia Business Watch. For more information, contact AWB’s Grant Nelson at (360) 943-1600.


KEY HEARINGS, MEETINGS
Bills to reform graduation requirements gathering steam
Legislators are again reviewing bills to adjust high school graduation requirements. On Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 1:30 p.m., the House Committee on Education will take up HB 1758, sponsored by Rep. Dave Quall, D-Mount Vernon, which expands students’ options and choices for completing high school by awarding diplomas to students who complete certain postsecondary programs. Also last week, lawmakers heard SB 5260, sponsored by Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, which would remove the statewide assessment as a requirement for high school graduation and dedicate any savings realized to increasing student success, closing the achievement gaps on the statewide assessment and motivating students through incentives to pursue postsecondary education. For more information, contact AWB’s Donna Steward at (360) 943-1600.


Green building legislation seeks to increase energy efficiency through increased standards
Last week, the House Technology, Energy and Communications Committee heard environmental community priority HB 1747, sponsored by Rep. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island. Its companion, SB 5854, sponsored by Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, will be heard this Wednesday in the Senate Environment, Water & Energy Committee. These bills aim to conserve energy by making residential and commercial buildings more energy efficient — an approach that AWB strongly supports. However, AWB has concerns with the bills’ implementation method, which would require the State Building Code Council to adopt a new State Energy Code that would require new buildings and homes to achieve a 40 percent reduction in energy use by 2013, increasing to a 70 percent reduction by 2031. For more information, contact AWB’s Chris McCabe at (360) 943-1600.


Lobby Lunch No. 3: Parlette and DeBolt talk budget, cap and trade
Two key GOP legislators, House Minority Leader Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, and Sen. Linda Parlette, R-Wenatchee, discussed Washington’s budget crisis, its fragile economy and how the governor’s climate change initiative could make it even worse at last week’s AWB Lobby Lunch. Said Parlette: “This is the year not to be out there promoting new policy even if it’s going to happen in 2011, 2012 or whenever. This is a year to do everything we can to make sure that businesses in this state, whether they’re small or large, can stay in business. This is a year to do no harm.” You can hear more from Parlette and DeBolt via our podcast.


Linville and Alexander at AWB’s Lobby Lunch on Feb. 12
The next Lobby Lunch will be this Thursday, Feb. 12, beginning at noon at AWB. This week’s guests are legislative budget experts Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, and Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia. Attendees should RSVP by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10. Individual lunches are $14. For more information, contact AWB’s Connie Grande at (360) 943-1600.


PRIORITY LEGISLATION
Paid family leave
AWB is closely monitoring HB 1609, sponsored by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, which would expand the suspended paid family leave program. AWB continues to support HB 1160, sponsored by Rep. Cary Condotta, R-East Wenatchee, and SB 5558, sponsored by Sen. Janéa Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, which would repeal the unfunded program. Read more on AWB’s blog, Olympia Business Watch. For more information, contact AWB’s Kris Tefft at (360) 943-1600.


AWB testifies against anti-employer union neutrality bills
Last week, the so-called Worker Privacy Act, HB1528, sponsored by Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, and SB 5446, sponsored by Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, was heard in the House and Senate. This is the state AFL-CIO’s top legislative priority, as well as AWB’s top human resources/employment law priority to defeat. Special thanks to AWB Board Member Tim O’Connell of Stoel Rives for testifying in opposition to the bill in both the House and the Senate. Read more on AWB’s blog, Olympia Business Watch. Click here to view AWB’s testimony. For more information, contact Kris Tefft at (360) 943-1600.


House hears controversial home construction warranty bills
Last week, the House Judiciary Committee heard HB 1045, sponsored by Rep. Brendan Williams, D-Olympia, and HB 1393, sponsored by Rep. Larry Springer, D-Kirkland. Both bills would require statutory warranties for new residential construction in Washington. AWB testified in opposition to both bills citing the broad, vague warranty language contained in both bills. Such vagueness would be open to judicial interpretation and would subject contractors, subcontractors and material vendors to additional liability, litigation and increased insurance premiums — a blow the already struggling construction and real estate markets cannot afford. However, acknowledging problems within the industry, AWB testified in support of other components of HB 1393, including better contractor licensing and certification requirements and the creation of a liaison in the Office of the Attorney General to handle consumer complaints. View AWB’s testimony or contact Chris McCabe at (360) 943-1600.


AWB testifies in favor budget transparency measure
AWB testified at a Senate hearing in favor of SB 5073, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Zarelli, R-Ridgefield. The measure improves budget transparency by consolidating accounts into the state general fund. The bill also provides that any residual balance of funds remaining in the health services, violence reduction and drug enforcement, and water quality accounts will be transferred to the state general fund. For more information, contact AWB’s Amber Carter at (360) 943-1600.


Senate weighs in on Initiative 937 green power debate
Last week, the Senate Environment, Water & Energy Committee heard five bills that would amend Washington’s renewable energy portfolio law, Initiative 937. This hearing was in stark contrast to the Jan. 19 House Technology, Energy and Communications Committee hearing on HB 1133, sponsored by Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip. SB 5840, sponsored by Sen. Chris Marr, D-Spokane, and SB 5137, sponsored by Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, both make significant, common-sense changes to existing law with which committee members appeared to agree. AWB testified in support of both bills, which would add additional renewable energy resources — including hydropower — to the mix. AWB did express concerns with SB 5840 because of the nominal increases in existing 937 standards. AWB continues to oppose HB 1133 because its increased standards require 20 percent renewable energy by 2025. For more information contact Chris McCabe at (360) 943-1600.


Bill proposes steep tax increases for agricultural sector
For the first time, farmers would have to pay the business and occupation tax if their gross income is $200,000 or more under a new measure introduced by Rep. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver. Under SB 5911, farm auctions would become subject to the state sales tax. The bill would also do away with the public utility tax deduction for irrigation. For more information, contact Amber Carter at (360) 943-1600.


House passes governor’s stimulus package that dips into UI trust fund
Gov. Chris Gregoire’s “Washington Jobs Now,” a stimulus plan that would draw down the unemployment insurance trust fund to temporarily increase UI benefits by $45 per week, temporarily reduce UI taxes for all of 2009 and expand access to the Training Benefits Program and the Shared-Work Program, has passed the House in the form of HB 1906, sponsored Rep. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma. Drawing from the trust fund is of grave concern to AWB, which wants to avoid the terrible example of California and keep our fund solvent. For more information, contact Donna Steward at (360) 943-1600.


Budget savings bills moving in Legislature
The Senate Ways & Means Committee heard testimony last week on HB 1694, sponsored by Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, which would provide immediate fiscal savings for the 2007-2009 budget. Meanwhile, members of the House Ways & Means Committee heard SB 5460, sponsored by Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, directs state agencies to freeze hiring, bars them from signing non-emergency personal service contracts and bans state-paid travel or training except for direct client services and emergencies. AWB supports both bills. For more information, contact Amber Carter at (360) 943-1600.


Workforce Board legislative agenda heard in Senate
AWB testified in favor of various bills before the Senate to implement recommendations of the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. The bills were SB 5316, sponsored by Sen. Fred Jarrett, D-Mercer Island, to change the timeline for adopting the state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education; SB 5317, sponsored by Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds, which makes various changes to definitions; SB 5048, sponsored by Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, which coordinates workforce goals with economic strategies in our state; and SCR 8404, sponsored by Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, which provides for the adoption of the state comprehensive plan for workforce training. For more information, contact Amber Carter at (360) 943-1600.


OTHER NEWS
Disaster relief available for Washington flood victims
The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved an economic injury disaster loan program in all 39 Washington counties for businesses impacted by the December snowstorms. The application deadline for the program is Oct. 30. The Internal Revenue Service, the SBA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are hosting a free webinar on disaster assistance on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 9:30 a.m. Click here for more information and to register. Additionally, FEMA opened a disaster recovery center in Puyallup to provide face-to-face assistance to people suffering damages from the winter storms. The center is located at South Hill Mall, 3500 S. Meridian Ave., Ste. 940, Puyallup. Hours of operation: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. To register for assistance, call (800) 621-3362, TTY: (800) 462-7585, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. seven days a week, or click here to register online.


Cancer claims former Rep. Mary Skinner
Former Rep. Mary Skinner, R-Yakima, died Thursday after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was 63. Skinner was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1994. She served for seven terms, including the last two as vice chair of the House Republican Caucus. Remembrances may be sent to the Dr. Hal and Rep. Mary Skinner Memorial Scholarship, c/o Yakima Valley Community College Foundation, Box 22520, 16th and Nob Hill Avenues, Yakima, WA 98907-2520.


AWB EVENTS & RESOURCES
Register now for AWB’s Legislative Reception and Annual Issues Briefing
Gov. Chris Gregoire will deliver the keynote address and Attorney General Rob McKenna will deliver the luncheon address at AWB’s Legislative Day in Olympia this Wednesday, Feb. 11. This event is a great opportunity to network with other AWB members, elected officials and agency directors. It’s also a great chance to enhance your company’s visibility through a sponsorship. To register or become a sponsor, click here or contact AWB’s Jennifer Costello at (360) 943-1600.


Winter 2009 Washington Business magazine coming soon to your mailbox
The latest issue of Washington Business magazine is hot off the presses. The focus is on the 2009 legislative session and its effort to deal with the current economic squeeze. It should be arriving in your mailbox later this week.


AWB holding issues briefings throughout the state
AWB President Don Brunell will begin a series of briefings around the state next week to discuss the current legislative session. Meetings will be held Wednesday, Feb. 18 (Yakima and Tri-Cities); Thursday, Feb. 19 (Walla Walla and Moses Lake); Friday, Feb. 27 (Vancouver); Tuesday, Mar. 10 (Tacoma); Wednesday, March 11 (Spokane); Tuesday, March 24 (Redmond); Wednesday, March 25 (Mountlake Terrace and Seattle); and Wednesday, April 15 (DuPont). For more information, click here or contact AWB’s Bonnie Millikan at (360) 943-1600 to RSVP.


Emergency planning and disaster management seminar Feb. 19 — is your business prepared?
Emergencies and disasters often strike when we least expect them. The best measure that all of us can take is to be prepared. Attend AWB’s one-day seminar and learn how to prepare and apply survival plans to any type of disaster. For more information, click here or contact Jennifer Costello at (360) 943-1600.


Get in compliance for 2009!
Washington’s minimum wage has increased from $8.07 to $8.55 per hour. Additional significant changes have been made to the required state and federal employment posters, as well — click here to view the other changes. Order your updated poster set today to ensure your company is in complete compliance with state and federal labor law posting requirements. To order an updated state and federal poster set, contact Jennifer Costello at (360) 943-1600.


FROM THE PRESIDENT
This week’s President’s Perspective: Base hits winning the health care game