March 4, 2011
Next Monday, the Legislature will reach the house-of-origin cutoff, which means that all non-budget bills have to be sent to the Senate or declared dead for the year. We have been working many very late nights this week and will be here much of the weekend passing key legislation.
Five of my bills are still alive and moving through the legislative process. I am very excited that HB 1362, the Foreclosure Fairness Act, has passed the House! This bill encourages banks and homeowners to work together and explore alternatives to foreclosure.
Look for more details on this bill in next week’s e-memo.
HB 1524, which recognizes the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, passed the House this week. This bill preserves and increases access to the IB for underserved populations by allowing students who fulfill specified requirements toward completion of an IB Diploma to be considered as having satisfied state minimum requirements for graduation from a public high school.
HB 1621, which corrects erroneous language and removes obsolete references from the Department of Early Learning statutes, and HB 1903, which would require background checks for all child care licensees and employees, have also passed the House. HB 1903 would result in a good pool of background checks, and would allow for less duplication and redundancy of background checks, since individuals will have their clearance card or certificate for three years.
Lastly, HB 1997, which would provide economic development by funding tourism promotion, workforce housing, art and heritage programs, and community development, is on the House floor calendar. I look forward to it coming up for a vote.
Three major bills protect Washington’s ‘Evergreen Legacy’
Protecting Washington’s natural resources now and into the future is the aim behind a trio of bills that cleared the House this week. From Puget Sound to Lake Whatcom to the Spokane River, these bills help reduce pollution in our waterways and place our state ahead of the curve in our oil spill response planning.
· HB 1186 incorporates lessons learned from last year’s BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico so that a similar disaster doesn’t occur here. It puts new responsibilities on oil companies for the safe travel of their oil tankers through Washington’s waters, with updated contingency plans and proper equipment in place for a swift, effective response in the event of a spill. The measure is in response to recommendations from a national report that was recently released on the BP oil spill.
· HB 1489 limits the sale of lawn fertilizer containing phosphorous in order to help prevent toxic algae blooms in lakes and streams. Algae need phosphorous to thrive, and other states that have restricted its use in fertilizer have experienced a noticeable reduction in algae blooms. There are cheaper alternatives to phosphorous that are just as effective, and the bill exempts agricultural users and instances where phosphorous is needed to establish healthy root growth.
· HB 1721 makes Washington the first state in the nation to ban coal-tar pavement sealant. The sealant contains high concentrations of toxics called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are linked to cancer and the destruction of fish and aquatic wildlife. Runoff from pavement that uses coal-tar sealant poisons streams and lakes, endangering both human and animal life. Alternative pavement sealants which are much less toxic are readily available.
Washington gains thousands of jobs
Despite losing jobs in some fields like government (-600) and construction (-1500), January was the strongest month of job growth in Washington since before the recession began, adding 11,000 new jobs. Over the past year, in fact, we’ve added an estimated 20,500 jobs.
Industries that added jobs in January were professional and business services, up 5,600; education and health services, up 4,500; retail trade, up 1,500; leisure and hospitality, up 1,300; financial activities, up 1,200; transportation, warehousing and utilities, up 800; and mining and logging, up 100.
“It’s unusual to have job gains in the middle of winter, so this is another positive sign that the recovery is under way,” said Employment Security Commissioner Paul Trause.
Industries that added jobs in January were professional and business services, up 5,600; education and health services, up 4,500; retail trade, up 1,500; leisure and hospitality, up 1,300; financial activities, up 1,200; transportation, warehousing and utilities, up 800; and mining and logging, up 100.
Here’s ESD’s full report on Washington’s latest job growth.
This week’s budget brief: Protecting basic education during tough budget times
Did you know K-12 education makes up more than 40 percent of state spending? Since most of that funding is protected by our state Constitution, our schools won’t feel the same impact as other areas of state government as we cut $4.6 billion from the next budget. But it’s hard to avoid any impact at all. Learn more here about how education funding fits into the bigger budget picture and which K-12 investments are safe.
Sincerely,
In This Issue
Washington’s ‘Evergreen Legacy’
Washington gains thousands of jobs
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