Dear Neighbors,
We celebrated Children’s Day on February 18th, a yearly tradition in the House of Representatives that usually coincides with the Presidents’ Day holiday. With many children out of school for the holiday, we invite them to join us as we recognize the special place children hold in our communities, and the hopes and dreams they symbolize for a better future. That future depends on the work we do here in the Legislature, and Children’s Day reminds us that every decision we make affects future generations.
If you haven’t already seen it, check out the photos from Children’s Day on our House Democrats blog and our Facebook page.
Update on my bills
On February 27th I attended Governor Inslee’s first bill signing, and I’m proud that it was the companion to my bill on juveniles and runaway children.
This bill is necessary because the policy that allowed shelters up to 72 hours to notify the parents of unaccompanied minors entering their shelter had expired, returning to an 8 hour notification. That time period can be too short a time for shelters to engage youth and often drives youth away, putting their health and safety at risk. Shelter employees need time to get teens to the next level of either family reunification or referral for additional services. With the 72 hour timeline, shelter employees get better youth outcomes. HB 1250/SB 5147 permanently reinstated the 72-hour notification for licensed youth shelters to protect youth & families.
Read a newspaper story on the bill here.
SHB 1292, which allows a person convicted of Prostitution who committed the offense as the result of being a victim of commercial sex trafficking-related crimes to apply to ask a judge to vacate their criminal records, passed the House with bipartisan support in a 91-1 vote! It will now be considered in the Senate Law & Justice committee.
Click on the picture below to hear a radio report on this bill.
STEM means jobs
It’s a big deal when the Governor himself testifies in support of a bill. That’s what happened last week when Governor Jay Inslee came to the House Education committee and spoke in support of HB 1872, which puts more focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in our state.
The measure creates a STEM Education Innovation Alliance made up of leaders from business and education fields. The alliance will provide vision and guidance for STEM education initiatives in early learning, K-12, and postsecondary education.
An estimated 30,000 Washington jobs will go unfilled in the next five years without increased investment in STEM education. If we don’t train Washington students for these jobs, employers will import talent from other states and countries instead.
In a recent survey by Washington STEM, 79 percent of respondents agreed that more companies will move to or expand to Washington if the state had a reputation for workers with great science and math skills. Nine out of ten agreed the next generation of Washingtonians will have more opportunities if they have strong STEM skills.
Connecting Washington: Transportation proposal unveiled
Speaking of jobs: Prominent business, labor, and environmental leaders from around the state joined members of the House Transportation Committee on February 20th to discuss details of the “Connecting Washington” transportation proposal.
The proposal would fund nearly $10 billion in transportation projects and maintenance across the state, and it has strong support from groups who agree that improving our transportation infrastructure is the key to growing our state’s economy. There are critical transportation needs across Washington that must be addressed, and in the words of Washington Roundtable president Steve Mullin, “We can’t afford to wait any longer.”
Details of the proposal, including a project breakdown, can be found on the House Democrats website. The main features of the plan include:
- Protecting existing infrastructure through maintenance and operation work, road repairs, and funding to city and county governments to address local needs
- Investing in new transportation projects that reduce congestion and improve safety in every corner of the state
- Improving freight mobility to help businesses move products to market more efficiently and affordably
- Fully funding the Washington State Patrol to ensure our highways are safe and well taken care of
- Providing transportation choices by empowering local and regional transit agencies, investing the bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements, and stabilizing the Washington State Ferry System
Funding has been requested for several projects in the 33rd district. Among them is the SR 509 extension to I-5. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, traffic volumes are expected to increase by at least 35 percent by the year 2020 due to population growth, economic expansion, and increased airport activity. Completing the SR 509 extension project will improve the movement of people and goods throughout Southwest King County and to/from Sea-Tac International Airport and promote economic development.
Another major project in the district is the I-405/SR 167 interchange. This interchange remains one of the most congested in the state, creating slowdowns that impede the efficient movement of people and goods. Improving capacity at this junction is critical to quality of life, freight movement, job creation and economic vitality in the region.
What the Affordable Care Act really means for our state’s small businesses
Change is on the way as our state takes the necessary steps to fully implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Getting our health care exchange approved so that it’s up and running on time is not only the fiscally responsible thing to do; it’s also the right thing to do for families, businesses and public health.
But all the changes can get a little confusing, especially those that affect small businesses (defined as businesses with less than 50 employees). The office of the state Insurance Commissioner has outlined what reforms have already gone into effect and what we can expect in coming years.
ACA reforms already in place:
- Tax credits of 35 percent if you offer health insurance, have fewer than 25 full-time workers, and you pay an average annual wage of $50,000.
- In 2014, that tax credit goes up to 50 percent.
What’s coming in 2014:
- If you have fewer than 50 employees, you’re not required to offer them health insurance. However, if you choose to offer health insurance, you could qualify for a tax rebate.
- All health plans must cover essential benefits.
- You can shop online for coverage through Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange and enjoy greater purchasing power, similar to large employers.
For a complete list of what health care reform means for individuals, families, seniors and large businesses, please visit Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s web page on health care reform.
Sincerely,
