OLYMPIA— The Association of Washington Business today made the following statement regarding a new striking amendment to the bipartisan Senate workers’ comp proposal, ESB 5566:

“It’s a good proposal that not only preserves the essential elements of Engrossed Senate Bill 5566, but also adds even more protections for injured workers, which seemed to be the main concern of the bill’s opponents,” said Kris Tefft, AWB government affairs director on workers’ compensation issues.

“It’s another example of the kind of bipartisan compromise we saw last month from the Senate when it passed ESB 5566 by a wide margin, and it’s an indication that lawmakers understand the importance of passing meaningful workers’ compensation reform legislation this session. Reps. Deb Eddy, Christopher Hurst and Troy Kelley deserve credit for working with Rep. Cary Condotta to keep this moving forward.

“We hope Speaker Chopp will acknowledge the hard work invested in this by lawmakers from both parties and allow ESB 5566 to come to a floor vote.”

About the Association of Washington Business
Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association, and includes more than 7,350+ members representing 650,000 employees. AWB serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. While its membership includes major employers like Boeing, Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser, 90 percent of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half of AWB’s members employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, visit http://www.awb.org/.

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