This is the Federation Hotline updated Jan. 26.
“Resist the gravitational pull of politics” and restore Affirmative Action, WFSE/AFSCME leader tells senators
AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) Executive Board member Kevin Allen -- on behalf of all of us – Friday (Jan. 26) called on legislators to pass legislation to repeal Initiative 200, the 1998 ballot measure that ended Affirmative Action.
“Let’s resist the gravitational pull of politics and let’s rise above that,” Allen told a packed hearing room of supporters at Friday morning’s hearing of the Senate State Government Committee.
I-200 simply hasn’t worked and has led to “disparate treatment, bias and unequal pay” in public employment, college enrollments and contracting, Allen said.
“Reverse the trend that’s been taking place over the past 20 years,” he added. “We need to pass this bill and bring back fairness and equality in Washington state.”
Allen is a disability adjudicator for the Department of Social and Health Services and member of King County Human Services Local 843.
The legislation, Senate Bill 6406, would repeal I-200 and restore the fair treatment of underserved groups in public employment, education and contracting.
Only one person – a radio and TV reality personality and founder of the Washington Policy Center “think tank” considered biased against state employees and all workers – opposed the bill.
John Carlson, who led the 1998 I-200 campaign, phoned in his testimony and spent much of it stuck in 1998.
But the top two sponsors on SB 6406 said times have changed. Sen. Maralyn Chase of the 32nd Dist. and Sen. Bob Hasegawa of the 11th Dist. echoed Allen in telling the committee that I-200 has failed and caused harm.
Affirmative Action is needed to maintain the quality of life in our state, they said.
“It’s not a quota, it’s a goal,” Allen said.
“(I-200) is ruining the financial health of many of our working families,” Chase said.
“Give people of color and minorities a real chance at equity again,” Hasegawa said.
The Senate State Government Committee sent out an alert this afternoon that its vote on SB 6406 has been moved up to next Wednesday, Jan. 31.
Social worker student loan repayment bill clears major hurdle in Senate
The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee on Thursday (Jan. 25) passed our priority bill to help state Children’s Administration social workers repay their college loans. The committee passed out a substitute bill with pilot program language. Today (Jan. 26), SSB 6259 with the pilot program language was referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it has until Feb. 6 to pass. Contact Sean Dannen at [email protected] with any ideas for actions we can take is support of SSB 6259. Looking ahead: Feb. 8 is Children’s Lobby Day. RSVP HERE.
Privacy bill moves to keep your dates of birth private; meanwhile, Freedom Foundation turns up the heat at the Supreme Court on this issue
The humane Senate bill to keep state employees’ dates of birth private took a big step toward passage Friday (Jan. 26) when the Senate State Government Committee passed SB 6079 and sent it the Senate Rules Committee.
With that action, the committee kept the bill alive. I has until Feb. 14 to pass the full Senate. The Senate Rules Committee schedules bills for votes of the full Senate.
SB 6079 would exempt public employee dates of birth from public disclosure requirements.
And as you know, the issue is already in the courts. AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) won before the state Court of Appeals in October where judges said state employees have a constitutional right to keep their dates of birth private.
But the Freedom Foundation is not giving up its effort to jeopardize your safety and security by getting its hands on your date of birth. Birthdays unlock a whole host of private information, including cybersecurity threats as outlined by the bill’s sponsor last week.
The foundation on Nov. 30 filed what’s called a petition for discretionary review by the state Supreme Court with hopes of overturning their defeat in the Court of Appeals.
AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) and a coalition of unions on Jan. 5 filed its formal response to the Supreme Court, urging justices not to grant the review because the appeals court had ruled correctly.
But now the Freedom Foundation is trying a new strategy: Pitting media magnates against state employees. Yesterday (Jan. 25) the Seattle Times, associations of newspapers and broadcasters and former Republican lawmaker Toby Nixon’s “open government coalition” filed “friend-of-the-court” motions in support of the foundation’s request for review by the Supreme Court. It is ironic that these are the same media companies that solicit newspaper, TV, radio, internet and social media advertising from AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) and the 40,000-plus members whose lives and families would be harmed if their dates of birth turn up for no good reason in the pages of the Seattle Times or the airwaves of KVI radio.
Great turnout for Interpreters United Local 1671 Lobby Day
Also at the Capitol today, dozens of our medical interpreter members of Local 1671 turned out for their lobby day.
The highlight of Interpreters United Lobby Day was meeting with and thanking Sen. Rebecca Saldana of the 37th District, sponsor of the interpreter services bill, SSB 6245.
It’s a good common-sense bill that would expand the reforms that medical interpreters have proved work. They would save money and improve services and availability to clients of other agencies, like Labor and Industries and the Health Care Authority.
SSB 6245 is now in the Senate Ways and Committee where it has until Feb. 6 to pass.
What’s on tap for next week: Bills have an extra day to clear committee
The pace of the legislative session picks up next week with the first deadline for bills to clear committees.
The good news is bills have an extra day to clear this session’s first hurdle. The final session cutoff calendar sets next Friday, Feb. 2, as the deadline for most House bills to clear House committees and for most Senate bills to clear Senate committees.
Bills with budget impact have until Tuesday Feb. 6 to pass their respective fiscal committees. Bills still alive Feb. 6 have until Feb. 14 to pass their “house of origin.” So, expect calls to action next week on our priority bills that need to pass the Feb. 2 or Feb. 6 committee deadlines.
Monday, Jan. 29
- AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) Executive Director Greg Devereux goes on the airwaves worldwide as he outlines our package of bills aimed at helping middle class state workers – and all workers. Listen to Devereux’s interview with Nat George on KGY radio 95.3 FM in Olympia or online at: http://www.kgyfm.com/ The interview will air in the 7:30-8 a.m. drive-time slot this Monday, Jan. 29. We’ll have archived audio that we’ll share later in the day on wfse.org, Facebook and Twitter.
- The House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee holds a public hearing on a workplace bullying bill, HB 2888. The committee is set to vote Feb. 1.
Tuesday, Jan. 30
- The Senate version of our priority affordable housing bill, SB 6400, comes up for a hearing in the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee at 8 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 30. RSVP on Facebook.
- The House State Government Committee has scheduled a vote on our priority Taxpayer Protection Act, ESHB 1851.
- The Senate Ways and Means Committee holds a public hearing on SSB 6029 establishing a student loan bill of rights.
- The House Judiciary Committee takes up HB 2611 concerning the privilege for peer support group counselors, an issue important to our Community Corrections members.
Wednesday, Jan. 31
- The House Community Development Committee is scheduled to vote on a good bill that will help AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) members who are veterans of the armed services. HB 2701 includes in the definition of "veteran,” every person or member, who at the time he or she seeks certain benefits, has received an honorable discharge, is actively serving honorably, or received a discharge for physical reasons with an honorable record and who meets certain criteria.
- Keeping your dates of birth private may come up in a hearing on SB 5148 before the Senate State Government Committee.
- The Senate State Government Committee is set to vote on Senate Bill 6406, the I-200 bill.
Thursday, Feb. 1
- The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a vote on our priority affordable housing bill, HB 2583.
Friday, Feb. 2
- Today is the deadline for most House bills to clear House committees and for most Senate bills to clear Senate committees.
- The Senate State Government Committee holds a public hearing on a good bill that will help Federation members who are veterans of the armed services. SB 6377 includes in the definition of "veteran," every person or member, who at the time he or she seeks certain benefits, has received an honorable discharge, is actively serving honorably, or received a discharge for physical reasons with an honorable record and who meets certain criteria.
That’s it for now.
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