TOP STORIES
Remember: Primary election ballots must be turned in by tomorrow
Tomorrow is the last day to turn in your primary election ballots. If you have not voted, please do so now and get your ballot into the mail. The primary election is especially important because it will decide the Washington State Supreme Court races, which include the expensive attack that trial lawyers and unions have mounted against incumbent Justice Jim Johnson. AWB has endorsed Johnson, who earned a remarkable 85 percent rating in the 2010 Scorecard, as well as incumbent Chief Justice Barbara Madsen and Justice Richard Sanders. Employers have an important voice in these races. Make sure yours is heard: Vote and submit your ballot.


New federal funding won’t fix Washington’s budget woes
President Obama authorized $26.1 billion in Medicaid and education funding last week for cash-strapped states, including $338 million for Washington, but the money falls far short of solving the state’s growing budget crisis. The latest state revenue report showed sales tax collections plunged another $23.9 million, prompting Gov. Chris Gregoire to order $51 million in welfare cuts and to instruct department heads to prepare for cuts of 4 percent to 7 percent beginning in October. So far, however, Gregoire is resisting calling the Legislature back for a special session, a move that would allow for targeted cuts and is embraced by everyone from state Sen. Joe Zarelli and The News Tribune to the Washington Policy Center and KIRO talk radio host Dave Ross.


We Mean Business campaign
Right now, job creation is essential. But most employers are putting expansion efforts on hold, given the uncertainty about federal health-care reform, card check and cap and trade, not to mention the fate of November’s election results — including a proposed state income tax. AWB’s We Mean Business campaign is an effort to focus on Washington employers and underscore their concerns about the economy. In a series of direct mail postcards and advertisements in local business journals, they make the case that Washington’s economy will not improve until the state’s business climate does. Join us in our campaign: Donate online today to this important effort to build support for those who create jobs in our state.


Seattle Times, Wall Street Journal, oppose state income tax
Last week, The Seattle Times came out strongly against Initiative 1098, which would establish a state income tax and discourage job creation. The editorial described Washington’s lack of a state income tax as “a selling point. An asset. And more than that: It's a bonus for living here.” The Wall Street Journal followed Saturday with an editorial (subscription required) that derided I-1098 as a deception being pushed on voters by wealthy liberals and the Service Employees International Union. The stakes are high for employers this year. In addition to 1098, there are several other ballot measures with big implications for employers. If you or your company has a Facebook or Twitter account, help boost efforts to build statewide support for these three AWB-endorsed initiatives this fall:

· Yes on Initiative 1053 (restoring a two-thirds requirement for taxes): Facebook and Twitter (@yeson1053)
· Yes on Initiative 1082 (ending the workers’ comp monopoly): Facebook, Twitter (@saveourjobswa), YouTube
· Defeat Initiative 1098 (defeating a state income tax): Facebook and Twitter (@defeat1098)

To contribute financially these campaigns: Visit Yes on 1053, Defeat 1098 and http://www.saveourjobswa.com/ (Initiative 1082). We need voters everywhere to understand the impact each of these measures can have on the state’s business climate. Take a moment to share this information today with your chamber members, employees and friends, and help protect Washington’s competitiveness on Nov. 2.


Brunell Elected Chair of State Manufacturers Group:
AWB President Don C. Brunell was elected chair of the Conference of State Manufacturers Association for 2011-12. COSMA consists of the presidents of the state manufacturers associations. Previously, Brunell served as chair of the Council of State Chambers (COSC) in 2007-08 and in 2000-01 he was elected chair of the National Association of Manufacturers’ National Industrial Council, State Associations Group and served four years on the NAM Board of Directors.


Jeff Gingold wins 2010 S. Fred Bruhn Award
AWB is proud to honor Jeff Gingold with this year’s S. Fred Bruhn Award. Gingold, an attorney with Lane Powell, is this year’s Policy Summit chair, served on several committees and provided valuable legal advice on AWB’s retrospective ratings program and HealthChoice plan. He will be presented with the award at the Policy Summit next month in Semiahmoo.


Register now for Policy Summit at Semiahmoo, Sept. 21-23 – Great speakers, great golf
Have you registered for this year’s Policy Summit? Don’t miss your chance to hear some of the country’s best speakers on the economy and play one of the Northwest’s great golf courses at beautiful Semiahmoo Resort. Don’t miss our tournament, including special prizes. But don’t wait until September: Follow the discussion before and during the summit on Twitter http://twitter.com/awbsummit. Register now online or contact AWB’s Jen Costello at 800.521.9325.


Ecology seeks feedback on plan to move forward with SEPA guidance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Time is running short to submit your comments regarding the Department Ecology plans to move forward with its draft SEPA guidance to address greenhouse gas emissions. State officials announced last week that they are moving forward with the guidance, even though AWB has expressed significant concerns that this approach will stifle economic development and commercial and residential construction job creation. Ecology has asked stakeholders to answer a series of questions as it refines this process. Comments are due by Tuesday Sept. 7 and should be sent to sepaguidance@ecy.wa.gov. AWB will continue to monitor and work on this issue. Contact AWB’s Chris McCabe with questions or comments.


Help repeal burdensome 1099 requirement in federal health-care bill
Of all the hidden costs now being discovered in the health care bill, one of the most concerning to the business community is Section 9006, which would place an unprecedented burden on small business reporting and paper work requirements. This section includes a provision that requires businesses to file 1099 tax returns starting in 2012 for many purchases. It's bad news for all businesses, especially smaller ones, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pushing hard to repeal it. Urge Congress to co-sponsor the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act, which would repeal this provision, and add your organization’s name to the business community's letter to Congress. For more information, contact the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at 888.732.5228.


Summer 2010 Washington Business magazine out this week
Can workers’ comp be saved? Should we reinstate the two-thirds vote requirement for taxes? The next issue of Washington Business — due out later this week — includes an examination of both Initiative 1082, the workers’ compensation measure, and Initiative 1053, the measure restoring a two-thirds majority vote for taxes. Watch the mail for your issue!


Passages: Central Washington agriculturalist Bud Mercer
Bud Mercer, a Columbia Basin agricultural pioneer and active AWB member, died Wednesday at age 71. Mercer, a third-generation farmer and rancher, was instrumental in bringing irrigated farming to the Horse Heaven Hills, south of Prosser. He developed a fresh pack carrot industry, and his family’s Mercer Estates became an important part of Washington’s thriving wine industry. “Bud was just a fine human. He was quiet and thoughtful – a real leader and believer in our free enterprise, market-based system,” AWB President Don C. Brunell said. “As the years go by we’ll understand more what we lost in Bud’s passing.”


Don’t miss AWB’s Regional Membership and Board Meetings
Have you signed up to attend one of AWB’s Regional Membership and Board Meetings? They’re one of your best opportunities to meet with legislators, and an important part of AWB’s candidate endorsement process, which culminates at AWB’s Policy Summit in September. Best of all, these meetings are coming to a city near you. Meetings are scheduled for:

•Aug. 31 — Tacoma
•Sept. 1 — Vancouver
•Sept. 2 — Bellevue
•Sept. 8 — Spokane
•Sept. 9 — Tri-Cities
•Sept. 9 — Yakima
•Sept. 10 — Moses Lake
•Sept. 14 — Mount Vernon
•Sept. 15 — Mountlake Terrace

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


Help us celebrate Business Week’s 35 anniversary
Washington Business Week will celebrate 35 years of educating and inspiring high school students on Friday, Sept. 17, from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., aboard the MS Zaandam at Terminal 91 in Seattle. Registration is required; deadline is Thursday, Sept. 6. RSVP to 253.815.6900 or e-mail Janice@wbw.org. You can also help Washington Business magazine celebrate Business Week in its fall 2010 issue. If you’re not too embarrassed to show your1980s hairstyles, we’d love to see your photos from Business Week sessions past for possible use with our article. Send all Business Week photographs and memories to AWB’s Dan Brunell.


KEY HEARINGS, MEETINGS
Discussion of legislative objectives at joint Energy/Climate Change Committee meeting, tomorrow
A joint meeting of AWB’s Energy Committee and Climate Change subcommittee will be held Tuesday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m. – noon, at AWB. A conference call option will be available. The committees will continue discussing AWB’s energy legislative objectives for 2011-12, adopt final edits and changes on recommendations to AWB’s board meeting in September, and review AWB’s climate change legislative objectives for 2011-12. For more information, contact AWB’s Chris McCabe or Grant Nelson.


Health-care reform at Human Resources Council meeting, Aug. 26
At the Human Resources Council’s next meeting, the featured speaker will be Seattle employment benefits attorney and health care expert Howard Bye, whose presentation, “Everything You Need to Know about Health Care Reform, But Are Afraid to Ask,” will be moderated in a Q&A format. Additionally, there will be an update and briefing on the political and legislative landscape, as well as review, discussion, and recommendations on AWB’s 2011 legislative objectives in the human resources field. The meeting is on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2 – 4:30 p.m., at Stoel Rives LLP in Seattle. For more information, contact AWB’s Kris Tefft.


Water Resource Committee meeting, Aug. 27
AWB’s Water Resource Committee will meet jointly with the Washington Water Policy Alliance on Friday Aug. 27 from 2 – 4 p.m. in AWB’s Small Business Conference Room. A conference call option will be available. Contact Connie Grande at 800.521.9325 for the call in number and pass code if you’d like to participate by phone.


Final approval of legislative objectives at GAC meeting, Sept. 17
AWB’s Government Affairs Council will finalize all legislative objectives on Friday, Sept. 17, at AWB, 9 a.m. – noon.For more information, contact AWB’s Connie Grande.


OTHER NEWS
Stormwater treatment seminar will help your business understand permits
If your company operates one of the approximately 1,200 facilities permitted under the state’s Industrial Stormwater General Permit, you don’t want to miss an important seminar later this month in Federal Way. AWB is helping to sponsor the Stormwater Treatment Technologies Seminar, hosted by Kennedy/Jenks Consultants. Learn about the latest techniques for treating stormwater, gain a better understanding of the permit and avoid violations and third-party lawsuits. The Stormwater Treatment Technologies Seminar takes place Tuesday, Aug. 24, 9 – 10:30 a.m. at the Weyerhauser Aquatic Center Banquet Hall, 650 SW Campus Drive, Federal Way. The seminar is free and includes coffee, juice and pastries. Please RSVP by Aug. 16 to Sandy Cosgrove, 253.835.6410.


Nominations under way: State seeks to honor workforce and economic development leaders
The Workforce Board and Department of Commerce are accepting nominations for the 2010 Governor's Best Practices Awards in Economic and Workforce Development. The annual Governor's Award for Best Practices in Workforce and Economic Development brings statewide recognition to projects and programs that have achieved positive results — particularly achievements that create family-wage jobs, encourage innovation, and promote an environmentally healthy economy — to both the field of workforce and economic development. Deadline is Sept. 10. Application material is available here.


Papa Murphy’s beats out pizza competition for No. 1 slot
In this week’s Member Spotlight: Papa Murphy’s, an AWB member since 2007, outpaced all other pizza industry competition in U.S. system-wide sales in 2009, according to the Nation’s Restaurant News Top 100, released July 27. Additionally, Papa Murphy's growth in U.S. franchise units from 2008 to 2009 landed the take ’n’ bake pizza chain among the top 10 restaurant franchises. Share your company’s good news with AWB’s Paul Schlienz.


AWB EVENTS & RESOURCES
Understanding health-care reform and how it will affect your business
President Obama signed landmark legislation on health-care reform into law, and the impact on employers is substantial and complicated. Several items within this law affect all employers – new reporting requirements, new IRS responsibilities, required changes to health plan coverage's and more. To help employers learn what their obligations under the massive new law will be, we developed a webinar series to address key provisions on health-care reform and explain how it will affect your company. Plan to join us on Wednesday for the next webinar: Small Employer Tax Incentives Provided in Federal Health-Care Reform: Blessing or Curse? To register, contact AWB’s Jen Costello at 800.521.9325.

To learn about more upcoming AWB events, view our online events calendar.


THEY SAID IT
“The new tax created by I-1098 would top out at 9 percent of adjusted gross income, with no deductions. That's not quite the highest rate in the country: Oregon's, at 11 percent, is at the top. But Oregon has zero sales tax. We would have high rates of sales and income taxes, which would be putting up a sign saying: Don't invest here. Don't create jobs here.” – Seattle Times editorial


This Week's President's Perspective: Do they really care about employers?