Business leaders push for jobs legislation

OLYMPIA—Business leaders representing both small and large firms joined Senate and House Republicans last week to urge the House of Representatives to move forward on Senate legislation to help get Washington back to work.

State Sen. Bill Finkbeiner, R-Kirkland, who has been coordinating the Senate Republicans' agenda, said all of the pro-jobs bills passed the Senate with bipartisan support. Failure to pass some of them will result in added "taxes" or business costs that will hinder job creation.

"In this tough economy, our number one priority is to get people back to work," Finkbeiner said. "Employers in this state are facing increases in health care, workers' compensation and labor costs if we fail to act. We've worked hard in the Senate to come to consensus on a comprehensive package of bills to help encourage job creation. Both Democrats and Republicans have a stake in this."

The bills referred to by Finkbeiner include:

• SB 5161, which makes the state's ergonomics rule voluntary, will save up to $725 million for businesses across the state by allowing them to develop their own ergonomics programs rather than adhering to a rigid and costly mandate;

• SB 5378, which will save $149.2 million in the employer-funded accident account, requires the state's Department of Labor and Industries to change the way it calculates benefits and to pay compensation for lost wages at 65.5 percent of a worker's wage;

• SB 5271, which will save $228 million in the employer-funded accident account, requires workers to apply for hearing loss "disability payments" within two years of the date of the worker's last exposure;

• SB 5728, which implements comprehensive liability reform, is expected to address the liability crisis, reduce future liability insurance increases and increase access to liability insurance carriers for doctors, contractors, governments and other small and large businesses;

• SB 5521, which allows insurance carriers to offer "bare bones" health plans, will help businesses better afford coverage for their workers; and

• SB 5697, which ties the state's minimum wage indexing to the unemployment rate, will help businesses retain and hire new entry-level employees during tough economic times.

Rep. Bruce Chandler, R-Granger, and House Republican Caucus Chair Beverly Woods, R-Poulsbo, echoed Finkbeiner's comments.

"The economic downturn is being felt in every legislative district in our state. We all need to step forward and put people back to work," Chandler said.

"These bills uphold the spirit—if not the letter—of the recommendations made by the Washington Competitiveness Council two years ago, before the economy went completely in the tank. But we can't pass these bills without help from the majority Democrats, and time is running out," said Woods, noting that April 4 is the deadline for House committee action on Senate bills, and April 7 is the deadline for House action.

Woods, Chandler and Finkbeiner were joined by Richard S. Swanson, chairman and CEO of Homestreet Bank and Chair of the Executive Committee for Washington Roundtable; Phyllis Campbell, chair of the Community Board, US Bank; Jackie White, owner of Magnum Construction, Inc. in Olympia and member of the National Federation of Independent Business; and Steve Cofchin, owner of Air Systems Engineering, Inc. in Tacoma and NFIB member.

"If the majority Democrats are serious about helping the economy this session, they'll get these bills scheduled for hearings and votes," Woods said. "We need to get this legislation moving to get the economy moving again."

Washington State Legislature release, March 27

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