WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Legislative Session Update

The Legislature is already hitting cut-off deadlines as this short session approaches the half-way mark.  Last Wednesday was the last day House policy committees could pass non-budget bills on to Rules or fiscal committees. Today is the last day that the fiscal committees can approve non-budgetary House bills, too.  Between now and next Tuesday, we will be on the floor voting throughout the day and evening, passing House bills out and over to the Senate. Then we will begin hearing bills that have been sent to us from the Senate.

Continuing our work on mental health reform

Last year, I advocated for legislation to ensure that people suffering from mental illness get the health care attention they need. This year, I am pushing key reforms that seek to integrate mental health care into our traditional health care model.

By integrating physical and mental health, as well as chemical dependency treatment, we can treat the whole person – not just in parts. Heart doctors often work with lung doctors to make the same patient well. Our goal is to follow the same model in behavioral health.

These common-sense changes will ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely, increase public safety, and get people the help the medical attention they need.

House Bill 2572 puts in place regional organizations to improve health in local communities. It also works to improve transparency in health care – historically one of the least transparent industries. Families will have access to critical information on costs and coverage for the very first time. This is a critical step for consumer protection, as well as those professionals who play by the rules.

 House Bill 2639 sets Washington on a path to better health, better care and lower costs. By integrating physical and behavioral health contracting, we facilitate new partnerships and create new efficiencies. Recognizing that what works in Puyallup may not work in Spokane, the bill leaves health care professionals the leeway to use their expertise to best serve their community.

House Bill 2725 will give families that deal with mental illness the support they desperately need. The bill seeks to strengthen involuntary treatment laws by adding “persistently or acutely disabled” to the list of conditions necessary for involuntary commitment. It also allows for more input from those who know the individual best, and more thorough monitoring after the patient is released.

Six-year licenses start rolling out next week

Beginning February 10, all new driver license or state ID card applicants—including first-timers and those who are transferring their licenses from another state—will receive a license or ID card valid for six years.

The per-year cost for a driver license or ID card will remain at $9 per year, but new applicants will pay for the additional year, which changes the fee from $45 to $54.

If you are renewing a current Washington driver licenses or ID card, you will get a notice from DOL later this year to transition to a six-year renewal period.

In 2012, the Washington State Legislature authorized extending driver’s license terms from five to six years to improve customer service by reducing customer volumes and wait times in driver license offices.

What kind of business climate does Washington really have?

You hear it often:  Small business is the backbone of our economy.  For every Microsoft or Boeing or Nordstrom, there are dozens of individually owned dry cleaners and pet stores and plumbers and machine shops.  If they have fewer than 50 employees, they’re officially “small businesses” in the eyes of the state.  And they matter greatly.

Something else you might hear often is the myth that Washington state is not friendly to small businesses, even though they provide four out of 10 private-sector jobs in the state.

But when we look at some very unbiased studies, the happy fact is that Washington time and time again finds itself named on “best” list in terms of business climate, tax climate, regulatory climate … all the climates that determine whether a state is considered business-friendly.

 The studies and articles are out there, and easy to find.  To skim across the top, here are a few:  According to the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation, Washington has the sixth most business friendly tax climate in the nation.  To add a little context, Texas doesn’t make the top 10, Idaho barely makes the top 20, and South Carolina is near the basement, in 37th place.

The most recent State of Entrepreneurship Index prepared by the University of Nebraska ranks Washington at number two in the nation for “entrepreneurship environment” and “growth in business formation.”

And the U.S. Chamber of Commerce put us at number eight in its survey of “Enterprising States,” which comes up with its results by factoring in, among other things, taxes and regulations, entrepreneurship, innovation, and a state’s “talent pipeline.”

Myths die hard. But the myth that Washington is anything but a great place to live, work, and do business, is fading fast.  And that is good news!

That’s all for now. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office as we move through the legislative session.

All the best,

Dawn