Dear Neighbors,
As you’ve probably heard, the budget negotiations in Olympia are continuing. Our leadership and budget teams are working hard and I am encouraged by the progress that’s been made toward a supplemental budget that makes the necessary reductions and reforms while still protecting our Washington values. I hope to have a more detailed update later this week.
In addition to our ongoing budget discussions and a couple of meetings in Olympia, I’ve been able to meet with some folks in district and attend a few local events. It’s great to be back home in the beautiful 33rd district.
Update on my bills
I was proud to attend the bill signing for SB 6290, the companion to my House bill, on March 16th, which allows the spouse or registered domestic partner of a service member to place a license regulated by the Department of Health or the Department of Licensing on inactive status when the service member is deployed or stationed outside of the state.
At the bill signing, the governor said that President Obama and the first lady told her that Washington leads the nation in helping the spouses of service members return to the workforce.
I hope the governor will sign my remaining bills soon!
State unemployment rate is the lowest in three years
A bit more good news about Washington’s economy – we added about 4,200 new jobs last month, according to the state’s Employment Security Department.
Industries with the most job growth in February were leisure & hospitality, which added 2,500 jobs; construction, up 1,900 jobs; retail trade, up 1,700; transportation, warehousing & utilities, up 1,500; and professional & business services, which added 1,100 jobs.
Some sectors lost jobs, too: government, down 1,400; manufacturing, down 900; other services, down 800; financial activities, down 700; and information, down 500.
Even with those losses, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 8.2 percent in February, down from a revised rate of 8.4 percent in January. That’s the lowest unemployment rate since January 2009, when it was 7.7 percent.
Since the low point in the recession, the state has regained about 90,900 jobs. An estimated 288,000 people (seasonally adjusted) in Washington were unemployed and looking for work in February, and about 197,000 claimed unemployment benefits. As of March 17th, 76,103 workers in Washington had run out of all unemployment benefits.
Here is more information on the latest numbers and or for help finding a job.
The Affordable Care Act is benefiting many Washington residents
After its first two years, the Affordable Care Act has reaped benefits for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians.
Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said in a press release that “by far the most popular benefit of health reform that we hear about is the ability for parents to keep their adult kids on their health plans – especially in today’s economy.” Indeed, so far more than 52,000 young adults up to age 26 have stayed on their parents’ health plans.
But lots of consumers are seeing other very significant benefits, as well:
- Prescription drugs for seniors
62,660 seniors received a $250 rebate to help cover the cost of their prescription drugs and 60,209 seniors received a 50 percent discount on their covered brand–name prescription drugs, which resulted in an average savings of $598 per person, which all added up to a whopping $35,999,334 in savings in our state! - Preventive services
653,723 people received free preventive services or a free annual wellness visit with their doctor. And 1,239,000 Washingtonians with private health insurance gained preventive service coverage with no cost-sharing. - No more lifetime limits on health benefits
2,427,000 Washington residents can breathe easier since they no longer face lifetime caps on their health benefits. - New options for folks with pre-existing conditions
As of the end of 2011, 708 previously uninsured Washingtonians who were locked out of the coverage system because of a pre-existing condition are now insured. To learn more about the plan go here.
As always, I appreciate your feedback on issues of importance to you. Keep your calls, emails, and letters coming!
Sincerely,
Tina