TOP STORIES
AWB members vote to endorse Initiative 1082
AWB’s membership voted overwhelmingly last week to support Initiative 1082, confirming the board of director’s earlier vote. The measure would lift Washington’s ban on private workers’ compensation insurance coverage, introducing competition into the state. Washington is one of only four states with a state monopoly on workers’ comp insurance, and the system desperately needs reform. I-1082 is a good start at addressing the problems that legislators and the governor have been unwilling to tackle. More information about the measure, including how to gather signatures to make sure it appears on the November ballot, is available here. Thanks to all AWB members who participated in the vote. For more information, contact AWB’s Kris Tefft.


2010 AWB legislative voting record now online
AWB’s 2010 voting record is available online. This is AWB’s annual scorecard showing how lawmakers voted on issues important to employers. “As we head into election season, our vote record becomes an important tool for evaluating incumbent lawmakers and new candidates for public office on issues that matter to employers in our state,” said AWB President Don Brunell.


Hearing on AWB challenge to Referendum 52 ballot title set for June 11
AWB’s ballot title challenge to Referendum 52, a measure to issue $505 million in bonds to fund energy efficiency upgrades in school buildings, has a date in Thurston County Superior Court on Friday, June 11. Judge Carol Murphy will hear our argument that the ballot title should inform voters that a temporary bottled-water tax would become permanent if the measure is approved, a position supported today by The Seattle Times. Interestingly, the campaign supporting the referendum agrees with us that the ballot’s title should mention extension of the bottled water tax, and is now a party to our challenge. For more information, contact AWB’s Kris Tefft.


State unemployment rate drops to 9.2 percent
Washington’s unemployment rate fell in April for the first time in more than three years, backed by an increase of 5,800 jobs, according to the latest figures from the Employment Security Department. The rate dropped from 9.5 percent in March to 9.2 percent in April, in part due to the hiring of temporary census workers. This is the first time the unemployment rate declined since March 2007. While this is definitely an improvement, Washington still has a long way to go in providing a business climate that enables employers to put people back to work in larger numbers.


Senate passes financial reform bill
The U.S. Senate passed a far-reaching financial reform package Thursday on a 59-34 vote. Seen as a victory for President Obama, the measure makes it easier to liquidate large failing financial firms, writes new rules for complex securities and creates a new consumer protection agency. It is an attempt to avoid a repeat of the financial crisis that hit the U.S. in 2007, but critics worry that it goes too far and will crimp the flow of capital in the economy. The bill must now be reconciled with a version that passed the House of Representatives in December before it reaches the president’s desk, likely before July 4. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., was one of only two Democrats who voted against the bill. She said it did not go far enough.


Health-care reform: Big, expensive, complex, under fire
"The implementation of a trillion dollar health-care program is far too important to build on an unconstitutional foundation," Hunter Goodman, of the Washington Office of the Attorney General told AWB’s Health Care Committee on Thursday. Goodman explained why Washington Attorney Gen. Rob McKenna joined with 20 states in a lawsuit that focuses on the new health-care reform law’s individual mandate. Also at the meeting was Renee Radcliff Sinclair, representingthe U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, who joined the discussion by phone.


AWB provides list of new taxes and when they go into effect
Wondering when the new beer tax goes into effect? Lost track of the effective date for the soda pop tax? AWB has compiled a comprehensive list of the nearly three dozen new taxes enacted during the 2010 legislative session and when they become effective. In addition, the list identifies various incentives, exemptions and miscellaneous changes approved this year by lawmakers.


Your comments on Ecology’s new stormwater strategy due by May 28
The Department of Ecology recently released its draft stormwater monitoring and assessment strategy for Puget Sound. Comments on this new strategy are due Friday, May 28. For more information, contact AWB’s Grant Nelson.


Department of Ecology needs your input on Shoreline Management Act rules
The Department of Ecology plans to revise parts of the Shoreline Management Act rules and needs your input. The changes include adjustments to rules on limited and comprehensive amendments to local shoreline programs. Send your comments on the draft by Saturday, June 5. For more information, contact AWB’s Chris McCabe.


AWB Institute supporting Stormwater Technical Resource Center
Watch for a short questionnaire soon from the AWB Institute seeking AWB member input on stormwater. Stormwater research is gaining attention in Puyallup at the nonprofit Stormwater Technical Resource Center, which was established as a result of AWB-led legislation in 2009. The survey is intended to help develop the efforts of the center to best suit the needs of businesses permitted under the industrial and construction stormwater permits. The center, to be located at the Washington State University Puyallup Research & Extension Center, will deliver training tools and assistance for stormwater permit compliance. The questionnaire will focus on key problem areas related to stormwater permit compliance issues and technical assistance needs. For more information, contact AWB Institute’s Grant Gilmore.


New issue of Washington Business looks at businesses helping Haiti, Columbia River closure and more
In the upcoming issue of Washington Business magazine, read about how a northeast Washington AWB member and his family are helping Haiti orphans — one family at a time. The article tells the story of Nat and Kris Baker, owners of Colville Construction, and how they adopted four children from Haiti, including three who came to live with them in the chaotic days following the devastating January earthquake. The new issue also features a cover story on how businesses are dealing with a planned closure of the Columbia-Snake River navigation system to accommodate some major dam repairs, and a look at the ways Washington businesses are making use of social media. Check your mailboxes for your copy the first part of June.


KEY HEARINGS, MEETINGS
Government Affairs Council Retreat, July 12-14 at Alderbrook
Mark your calendar: AWB’s annual Government Affairs Council Retreat is scheduled for July 12-14 at the Alderbrook Resort on the beautiful Hood Canal. More details will be coming soon. For more information, contact AWB’s Connie Grande.


AWB Regional Membership and Board Meetings set for August, September
AWB’s Regional Membership and Board Meetings are open to all AWB members and prospective members, and provide an excellent opportunity to hear directly from local legislators. Candidate endorsements are also on the agenda. This fall’s meetings are scheduled for:

More detailed information, including times, specific location and agendas, is available on AWB’s events calendar.


OTHER NEWS
Attorney General McKenna at Washington Policy Center Health-Care Conference
Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna and health care policy expert Regina Herzlinger will speak at the Washington Policy Center Health-Care Conference. Co-sponsored by AWB, the event will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel in SeaTac, 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Friday, June 4. Prices are $65 (lunch and conference), $60 (Washington Policy Center members) and $500 (table of eight). Register now online.


Perkins Coie named one of top 10 family-friendly law firms
For the second time in three years, Yale Law Women included Perkins Coie, an AWB member since 1985, on its list of the Top Ten Family-Friendly Law Firms. Read more about this story on AWB’s Member Spotlight. If you have good news to share about your company, contact AWB’s Paul Schlienz.


AWB EVENTS & RESOURCES
AWB to sponsor Bigfoot Social Media Conference
AWB is a lead sponsor of Bigfoot, a new conference focused on social media and social networking for business. Thirteen top experts, including three nationally known keynoters, will share what works and what hasn't in their use of social networking for large and small business. AWB is also sponsoring and moderating a special breakout panel on the use of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to influence politics and policy for business. Due to the generosity of sponsors (including AWB) and reaching the contracted ticket sales goals, the organizers are opening another bank of seats at $149 rather than the at-the-door-price of $199. Click here to register and view the complete list of speakers and sponsors, or contact Frank Kenny at 360.275.4267.


Policy Summit at Semiahmoo – Sept. 21-23
AWB’s 21st Annual Policy Summit includes a dynamic selection of speakers including ABC's News pollster Gary Langer and The Economist’s American business editor Matthew Bishopto help you better evaluate the key policy issues. Make plans now to join us at the scenic Semiahmoo Resort this fall. To register, click here or contact Jodi Martinez at 800.521.9325.


2010 AWB Salary and Benefits Survey results now available
The first quarterly release of the AWB Salary and Benefits Survey results are now available. The AWB Salary and Benefits Surveyresults are updated quarterly and provide the ability to select and filter results by geographic location, industry, annual revenue and/or number of employees. The survey results include a comprehensive set of statistics and analysis tools. Incentive pay, pay practices and benefits results are also included for no additional cost. AWB members receive a $150 discount off the standard subscription price. The discounted rate is $349 for survey participants and $749 for non-participants. Subscribe using the special promotion code AWB223 to receive the discount. Click here to sign-up now! 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.


Let our preferred merchant services provider save you time and money!
AWB encourages you to take advantage of our exclusive partnership with FrontStream Payments (formerly Fast Transact, Inc.) for merchant services and credit card processing. As a preferred merchant, you can be sure to benefit from guaranteed savings and customizable options that fit your business needs. Increase sales, save time, save money. It’s that simple! Getting started is easy. Call 800.687.8505, ext. 156 for your free analysis or e-mail Kathy.adams@frontstreampayments.com.

THEY SAID IT
“Entrepreneurs are people who pour their energies and resources into starting and running businesses – and assume all the risk. Entrepreneurs are part of the productive, taxpaying class. You know, the people who eventually foot the bill for all of Rep. Pelosi's progressive pipe dreams. However, in Rep Pelosi's statist mind, an entrepreneur is not someone who creates jobs, but someone who quits his job, starts a garage band and lets his struggling, employed neighbors pay for his health insurance.” – The Las Vegas Review-Journal, in response to U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s remark that the new health-care reform law is an “entrepreneurial bill,” a bill that “says to someone, if you want to be creative and be a musician or whatever, leave your work, focus on your talent, your skill, your passion, your aspirations because you will have health care."


This Week's President's Perspective: I-1082 is a Relief Valve for Beleagured Employers