TOP STORIES
House health care bill now in Senate, would add trillions to national debt
The health care bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 7 would add trillions to the national debt, according to June O’Neill, former Congressional Budget Office director. The bill, which could go to the Senate floor before Thanksgiving, completely ignores the kind of market-oriented reforms that AWB supports, including controlling costs, increasing the use of technology and medical malpractice reform. Read more on AWB’s blog, Olympia Business Watch.


State Supreme Court supports school funding system, 9-0
In a unanimous decision written by Justice James Johnson, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that variations on the way teachers and school staff are paid across districts is not a violation of Washington’s constitution, and merely reflects cost of living differences between districts. The decision reverses a 2007 King County Superior Court ruling in a case brought by the Federal Way School District. The district claimed that Washington’s system of allocating money to school districts was unfair. “The Supreme Court upheld the state’s formula for funding Washington school districts,” said Attorney General Rob McKenna. “Our attorneys pointed out, and the court agreed, that school funding decisions should be made by elected legislators, not litigators.” AWB supports this ruling because it brings flexibility in allocating school district wages and does not tie all districts in the state to a single wage level without regard to cost of living. For more information contact AWB’s Donna Steward.


Federal R&D tax credit needs to become permanent
The R&D Credit Coalition is collecting signatures from businesses urging Congress to act now to strengthen and make permanent the federal research and development tax credit, which is set to expire Dec. 31. AWB is also calling for the tax credit to be made permanent, saying that now is no time to allow this important tool in encouraging the creation of jobs to expire. “In Washington state, employers provide high-skilled, high-wage jobs in fields ranging from aerospace to biotechnology that depend on the R&D tax credit,” said AWB President Don Brunell in a letter to the state’s congressional delegation. Allowing the credit to expire, Brunell added, “will place Washington state’s innovation economy at risk.”


Governor requests federal aid for businesses affected by Yakima County landslide
Gov. Chris Gregoire requested that the U.S. Small Business Administration declare an economic disaster for Yakima County and provide financial assistance to small business owners affected by a recent landslide and flooding of the Naches River. “Several small business owners have suffered substantial losses as a result of the landslide and flooding,” Gregoire said. “By declaring this emergency, business owners have access to low-interest loans to help them get back on their feet, and move money through the economy again.”


Supreme Court hears arguments in three AWB-supported cases
Starting last week and continuing tomorrow, the Washington Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in three important cases where AWB has weighed in with friend of the court briefs outlining our public policy concerns. The first case, heard last week, was Kelly v. Chelan County, and involved the question whether the time limits in a development permit are automatically stayed while the validity of the permit is being appealed.The second, heard this morning, Tobin v. Labor & Industries, involves the right of the Department of Labor &Industries or a self-insured employer to reimburse workers’ comp benefits in accidents caused by negligent third parties. (AWB was joined on this brief by the Washington Self-Insurers Association).The third, Sound Infiniti v. Snyder, will be heard tomorrow and involves limitations on the right of dissenting shareholders in Washington corporate law.For more information on AWB’s position or a copy of any of the briefs, contact Kris Tefft.


U.S. is hurting manufacturers, according to Emerson CEO
The U.S. government is hurting manufacturers with regulation and taxes, said David Farr, chief executive of Emerson Electric Co. As a result, his company will continue to focus on growth overseas. "Emerson will keep expanding in emerging markets, which represented 32 percent of revenue in 2009,"according to Farr. Emerson, which employs approximately 125,000 workers throughout the world, has eliminated more than 20,000 jobs since the end of 2008 in order to cut costs.


Senate unlikely to take further action on climate change legislation this year
The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Senate is unlikely to take action on the climate change bill, which would put further financial burdens on U.S. companies, before the end of the year. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, said, "It's common understanding that climate-change legislation will not be brought up on the Senate floor and pass the Senate this year." The Finance and Agriculture Committees and the Environment Committee share jurisdiction over the bill.


Holidays a little brighter with AWB’s Holiday Kids’ Tree Project
This Christmas is shaping up to be a tougher time on families who cannot provide gifts and food for their children, particularly those in rural areas. But there is a bright spot: the AWB Holiday Kids’ Tree Project at the state Capitol Campus. Each year, contributions from AWB members provide rural firefighters with money to buy gifts and food for needy families. Amazingly, this year’s donations have exceeded expectations during these hard economic times. Still, we need more. For information on making donations, contact AWB’s Bonnie Millikan at (360) 943-1600 and be sure to join us at the Capitol Rotunda at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, for the official tree-lighting ceremony with Gov. Gregoire. It’s a great event for families and Santa will even be there!


AWB now accepting nominations for Better Workplace Awards
AWB’s Better Workplace Awards honor companies that have gone the extra mile to create a better working environment in the areas of workplace safety, job training, advancement programs and innovative benefit and compensation programs. Have your company recognized for its accomplishments! Click here to download the nomination form. Awards will be presented at our annual Legislative Day in Olympia on Feb. 3, 2010. For more information, contact Jennifer Costello. The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, Dec. 11, 2009.


KEY HEARINGS, MEETINGS
Workers’ Comp Coalition meeting, Nov. 17
The Workers’ Comp Coalition meets Tuesday, 10 a.m. – noon at AWB. There will be updates on the status of governor’s business-labor negotiations, the coalition’s own legislative priorities, policy discussion, and draft bill language. For more information, contact AWB’s Kris Tefft.


Tax and Fiscal Policy Council meeting, Nov. 18
The final Tax and Fiscal Policy Council meeting of 2009 is scheduled for Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. – noon at AWB. The council will continue preparing for the 2010 legislative session and review the proposed vision for the Department of Commerce. Plan to provide input on AWB’s comments in an upcoming legislative hearing on city licensing and taxing authority problems resulting from compliance with destination sourcing. If you have topics you would like included at the meeting, contact AWB’s Amber Carter. On the same day at 1:30 p.m., the Department of Revenue will hold a stakeholder meeting on the reseller permit and proposed legislation for 2010. Please consider participating in the meeting at 6300 Linderson Way, Room 123, in Tumwater.


Education Committee meets Nov. 19
The Education Committee meets Tuesday, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., at AWB. Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn is the invited guest. For more information, contact AWB’s Donna Steward.


OTHER NEWS
Sales tax lookup tools available
The Washington State Department of Revenue has prepared a tax calculator that allows the address or ZIP+4 with the transaction amount to get a total that includes all necessary tax information. This feature is accessible through handheld devices likes PDAs, Blackberries and cell phones. For more information, contact AWB’s Amber Carter or read more here.


Don Brunell Scholarships application deadline extended to Dec. 1
The application deadline for the Don Brunell Scholarship for Future Business Leaders is being extended until Dec. 1. The scholarship was established to inspire and aid Washington’s future business leaders. It is awarded annually and targeted to undergraduate, graduate or career/vocational students currently pursuing or who intend to pursue a course of education that will lead to a degree or certification in business from any public or private university, community or technical college, or private career school. The scholarship is $1,500 per recipient; $2,000 if the recipient has attended Washington Business Week. For more information, contact AWB’s Mike Hudson.


AWB EVENTS & RESOURCES
Human Resources in 2010: A Washington State Legislative Forecast Webinar
Human resources is always one of the most volatile issues in the Washington State Legislature. Numerous new laws and regulations in the areas of discrimination, leaves of absence, immigration, unionization, employee benefits – to name a few – have been debated for years and are teed up for further action in the 2010 session. Join us on Thursday, Dec. 10, at 10 a.m. for an up-to-the minute briefing on where these and other HR issues stand going into the January start of session. Register online or contact AWB’s Jennifer Costello.


Still time to participate in AWB salary and benefits survey
AWB has partnered with WageAccess to provide you a survey that includes over 900 benchmark positions in a wide variety of industries. This survey allows you to query, select and filter results by geographic location, industry and company size. The survey results also include a comprehensive set of descriptive statistics, compensation analysis tools and trends in salary and benefit administration. Sign up or learn more about the AWB survey here. If you have not yet participated in the survey, it's not too late. Since the survey results are updated quarterly, your data can still be included!


2010 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.


Forklift: Train the Trainer workshop – Thursday, January 14
Proper forklift safety training will make your company a safer place to work — and keep you in compliance with the law. Attendees who complete the course will receive a certificate of completion, a CD of workshop materials and a PDF manual they can reproduce to train their own employees on proper forklift safety. Register online or contact Jennifer Costello at (360) 943-1600.


THEY SAID IT
"Well, first of all, it has more than a robust public option, it's got a totally government-run plan, the costs are extraordinary associated with it, it increases taxes in a way that will not pass in the Senate and I could go on and on and on. Faced with a decision about whether or not to move a bill that is bad, I won't vote to move it. For sure.” – Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.


This Week's President's Perspective: It’s time to raise revenue, not taxes