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Legislative Agenda
Joint Government Affairs
Committee
2008 Legislative Agenda
The 2008 legislative session presents opportunities to our Governor and the
Legislature. Work remains to be done to improve the business environment. We
urge the Legislature and the Governor to seize opportunities to strengthen our
economic recovery and continue to improve the competitiveness of business in the
state.
To that end, the Joint Government Affairs Committee has identified
several key areas of concern that comprise our legislative agenda:
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- Health
Care
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1. Taxes &
Fees (back to the
top)
Over 50
percent of Washington's revenue is collected in business
related taxes compared to 28-35 percent in neighboring western states. Current
tax and fee policies create a non-competitive business environment. Washington must promote,
establish, and protect tax policies that balance the need to provide essential
services and the need to minimize the relative tax burden on
business.
To
achieve this goal, the Chambers:
- Support
repealing the paid family and medical leave act. If not abolished, the FMLA
should be funded through
employee payroll deductions, not workers? compensation or
unemployment insurance reserves.
- Support
efforts to
lower workers' compensation costs to be competitive with other states by
modifying benefit calculations, allowing third party insurers and small group
self insurance, improving claims management and responsive customer
service
- Support
efforts to reform Washington's unemployment insurance
program
- Support
changes to the state's B&O tax structure including increasing the B&O
tax exemption to help small and struggling businesses, maintaining B&O tax
credits for specific industries, establishing a retail sales tax collection
allowance and the simplification and lowering of B&O tax rates for all
businesses
- Support
repealing the state estate tax
- Support
eliminating the annual automatic minimum wage increases and to allow for tip
credit as most competitive states permit
- Support
restoring spending limits
- Oppose
mandated "pay or play" medical insurance and/or single payer
insurance
- Support
reasonable standards for city designation including
citizen elected governance, transparent budgets, and provision of municipal and
essential services
2.
Transportation(back to the top)
The State
must ensure sufficient investment and long-term funding for our transportation
system, which is essential for a strong economy, the sustainability of our
businesses, and the livability of our communities.
To achieve
this goal, the Chambers will:
- Support
targeted state investment to increase roadway capacity, transit, and other
alternative transportation modes
- Support
continued investment in freight mobility and multi-modal
projects
- Support
additional revenue resources available to local jurisdictions
- Support
alternative funding mechanisms including public-private partnerships and
tolling
- Recognize
the coordination and integration that already exists among transportation
agencies and support maintaining the local control and accountability of local
transit agencies
3.
Education - Pre K-12 through Higher Education(back to the top)
To
remain competitive in the global marketplace, an educated citizenry is key. This
means that Washington State must commit to reaching a new
standard of excellence in its educational system making access to educational opportunities at all levels a
primary focus.
To
achieve this goal, the Chambers support:
- Increased
production of bachelor's degrees in the region in high demand fields through:
- Creation of
a branch campus of the University of
Washington in Snohomish County with a STEM (science, technology,
engineering and math) emphasis
- Expansion
of alternative post secondary education options (university center, expanded
partnerships with four year institutions) at local community
colleges
- Opportunities
that encourage and strengthen early childhood education
programs
- Competitive
professional compensation and benefits to attract and retain best
educators
- Strong
workplace training programs to prepare students to meet the demanding challenges
in today?s job market
- Improved
math and science education at the K-12
level
4.
Health Care(back to the top)
The
Chambers support policies and programs that assure the provision of quality and
accessible health care services for all citizens. This approach encourages a
review of the current regulatory environment to reduce unnecessary regulation
and evaluate programs moving forward to ultimately achieve universal
coverage.
To
achieve this goal, the Chambers will:
- Support the
process and provide feedback to the Governor?s Blue Ribbon Commission on
Healthcare
- Oppose
regulatory actions that would negatively effect providers
- Support
legislation that encourages affordable coverage for small business employers and
expands coverage to some who are currently uninsured
- Work with
legislators to assure continued coverage for children and expanded coverage for
mental health
- Support
planning for and funding of emergency preparedness for catastrophic natural
disasters or epidemic outbreaks
- Advocate to
preserve the ability to purchase affordable individual insurance products in
Washington
State
5.
Economic Development and Competitiveness(back to the top)
Snohomish
County employers
must compete successfully, both locally and globally. The Chambers support
prudent actions by government to support Snohomish County businesses of all sizes. These
activities may include public infrastructure investment, the promotion of
entrepreneurship, and targeted incentives for high-tech industries. Legislation
to support these activities will increase competitiveness and stimulate economic
growth, while continuing to attract new business and industries to our
region.
To
achieve this goal, the Chambers will:
- Support
programs
and provide funding for infrastructure that support economic development and
community renewal projects
- Support
organizations like the Small Business Development Center, Washington
Manufacturing Services and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center that promote entrepreneurship and
small business development
- Support
Snohomish County's
high tech & emerging industry clusters by encouraging:
- Tax
incentives for high tech industries where needed for global competitiveness
- Funding new
higher education enrollments in science, technology, engineering and math to
support high tech industry clusters and technology based
jobs
6.
Regulations(back to the top)
The
Chambers believe the regulation process can be unduly burdensome. The solution
includes increased and ongoing Legislative oversight, increased use of sunset
provisions and "one-stop" or centralized issuance of licenses and
permits.
To
achieve this goal, the Chambers:
- Recommend
the Legislature develop, implement and oversee a specific and on-going process
to provide systematic oversight of all regulations of business by State and
local government
7.
Energy(back to the top)
Reliable
low cost power is an essential component of a vibrant economy. The Northwest's electric power system is
uniquely dominated by hydropower.
This renewable cost-based energy resource has fueled economic growth in the region for
decades; however, load growth and regulations threaten the future of low cost
power in the region.
To
achieve this goal, the Chambers will:
- Encourage
investment in energy conservation through funding and tax
incentives
- Encourage
development and use of renewable energy while granting utilities
significant flexibility towards achieving legislated standards to avoid
unnecessary costs
- Preserve
the "cost-based" benefits of the federal Columbia
River power system.
Retain public and regional preference to BPA power at cost-based rates.
Secondary power revenues should continue to serve as an offset to BPA wholesale
power rates
- Support
salmon recovery efforts based on a comprehensive recovery plan that is
predicated on scientifically supportable activities and cost
effectiveness
8.
Housing(back to the top)
Livable
communities offer a variety of affordable housing choices, nearby employment
opportunities, an economically viable commercial sector, good schools, safe
neighborhoods, quality public services, parks and open space, efficient
transportation systems and utility infrastructure. To promote livable
communities, governments should encourage quality growth through policies
sufficiently funding transportation and infrastructure that provides the
framework for a community's quality of life, and lays the essential groundwork
for accommodating quality commercial, industrial and residential growth.
Furthermore, these objectives should be met through market-driven approaches
that foster a wide-range of urban, suburban and rural housing choices at all
price levels.
To
achieve this goal, the Chambers will:
- Support
policies that promote an adequate jobs to housing ratio by:
- Improving
OFM population projections to include relevant data about local economies,
relevant market factors at the national, state and local levels and anticipated
economic/job growth projections
- Encouraging
countywide planning policies to account for enough homes within the regional
housing market sufficient to accommodate employment
growth
- Support
policies that accommodate growth by:
- Clarifying
the intent of the Growth Management Act to accommodate growth by planning for
the availability of a variety of residential densities and housing types
- Ensure
sufficient buildable land capacity for housing and employment growth
- Provide for
"no net loss" of housing and employment opportunitie
- Provide
incentives for housing opportunities that accommodate
growth
- Encourage
performance measures to help communities determine how well they are
accommodating growth and ensuring communities make adjustments to plans by
adopting reasonable measures necessary to accommodate growth and provide housing
opportunities
- Support
modification to the condominium laws and insurance reform to encourage builders
to construct dense housing without the constant fear and expense of class action
lawsuits
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