This is the Federation Hotline updated Feb. 15.
Latest state revenue forecast good, but...
The state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council today released its latest revenue forecast. It shows a total increase of $1.3 billion in the four-year outlook period.
“The extraordinary revenue growth will allow us to meet our legal and moral obligation to our public schools and to mental health care,” said Sen. Christine Rolfes of the 23rd Dist, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
House and Senate leaders say the supplemental budget proposals they’ll roll out next week won’t need any new taxes.
“I am confident that the House and Senate can deliver a balanced budget – one that does not rely on new taxes – on time and set the state on solid ground entering the (next) biennium,” Rolfes said.
While this is good news and shows steady recovery from The Great Recession, law requires that a substantial portion of the revenue be funneled into the state’s Budget Stabilization Account. A 60 percent vote of lawmakers is required to pull funds from that account.
Bottom line: Revenues are increasing so there should be no excuse to balance the budget on the backs of state employees and the people we serve.
Campus police arbitration bill debuts in Senate
AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE)-initiated bill to give state college and university campus police binding arbitration made its Senate committee debut today (Feb. 15). SHB 1559 already passed the House, 82-13.
SHB 1559 aims to level the playing field for these law enforcement officers. A separate bargaining table would allow these campus police officers to deal with their unique safety, training and equipment needs.
“Interest arbitration is an outlet for labor disputes to be resolved peacefully,” said Ton Johnson, the Federation’s law enforcement labor advocate.
The committee has scheduled a vote for Monday (Feb. 19).
What’s on tap for next week
With less than three weeks left in this 60-day legislative session, the pace picks up next week with the next major committee cut-off deadline and hearings on legislative supplemental budget proposals.
The next major cutoff deadline comes next week. On Feb. 23, most House bills must pass Senate committees, and most Senate bills must pass House committees. The exceptions are bills in House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees; they have until Monday, Feb. 26 to pass out bills.
And remember: Every day is Lobby Day, with a big one coming Monday on Presidents’ Day. RSVP HERE.
Monday, Feb. 19
- The Senate Law and Justice Committee takes up HB 2611 to give Community Corrections officers and specialists the same post-incident privileged communications protections as other law enforcement officers when talking to peer support counselors. It already passed the House 98-0.
- The Senate State Government Committee holds an evening hearing on two of our priority bills: E2SHB 1851, the Taxpayer Protection Act to bring transparency and accountability to state outsourcing (already passed the House 52-45); and ESHB 1434, the shared leave for pregnancy disability/parental leave (hearing rescheduled from Feb. 16; already passed the House 73-21).
- The House Labor and Workforce Standards Committee holds a public hearing on our priority interpreter services bill, 2SSB 6245. It already passed the Senate 31-16.
- The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee takes up one of our priority bills, 2SHB 1541 addressing prescription drug transparency. The measure already passed the House 50-48.
- The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee has scheduled a vote on our priority bill to grant binding interest arbitration to campus police (SHB 1559). It already passed the House 82-13.
- The Senate Ways and Means Committee takes up this year’s capital budget, proposed Substitute SB 6095.
- The House Finance Committee has scheduled a vote on the capital gains tax bill, HB 2967.
Tuesday, Feb. 20
- The House State Government Committee holds a public hearing on SB 6079 to protect the safety and security of state employees and their families by keeping dates of birth private. It already passed the Senate 25-22.
- The Senate Ways and Means Committee holds a public hearing on its supplemental budget proposal, SB 6032.
- And the House Appropriations Committee holds a public hearing on its supplemental budget proposal, HB 2299.
- The House Transportation Committee takes up the supplemental transportation budget, HB 2469. The Senate Transportation Committee takes up its version of the same plan, SB 6106.
Wednesday, Feb. 21
- The Senate Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a vote on its supplemental budget proposal, SB 6032.
- The House Appropriations Committee has scheduled a vote on its supplemental budget proposal, HB 2299.
- The Senate State Government Committee takes up SHB 2778 to protect personal information regarding sexual harassment claims. It already passed the House 98-0.
Thursday, Feb. 22
- The House Capital Budget Committee takes up its version of the capital budget, HB 2395.
- The Senate Law and Justice Committee has scheduled a committee vote on HB 2611 to give Community Corrections officers and specialists the same post-incident privileged communications protections as other law enforcement officers when talking to peer support counselors.
- The House Labor and Workforce Standards Committee has scheduled a committee vote on our priority interpreter services bill, 2SSB 6245. It already passed the Senate 31-16.
Friday, Feb. 23
- Opposite chamber committee cut-off day: Most House bills must pass Senate committees, and most Senate bills must pass House committees. The exceptions are bills in House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees; they have until Monday, Feb. 26 to pass out bills.
Saturday, Feb. 24
- The Senate Ways and Means Committee meets during this supplemental budget week. Its bills must pass committee by Feb. 26.
- And House fiscal committees facing that Feb. 26 deadline also meet (Appropriations, Capital Budget, Finance and Transportation).
It’s about safety and security: Readers begin to push back on anti-privacy editorials
Readers are beginning to object to recent editorials supporting release of state employees’ dates of birth. Such release jeopardizes the safety and security of state employees at work and their families at home.
Here’s an excerpt from one such letter to the editor in today’s (Feb. 15) Olympian:
“This is not a matter of government transparency; it is a basic norm regarding privacy. For some simple selfish reason, I am not wanting some nefarious person to obtain my identity and then royally mess up my life.”
See the full letter at: http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article200158324.html
That’s it for now.
###