Democracy is not a spectator sport

The legislature is in session, and never before has your involvement been so important. Many bills may affect you personally or impact your fellow employees.

We could see mandated furloughs (i.e. less pay!) or jobs contracted out. On the other hand we could see increased “pay to play” fees to replace General Funds and preserve employee jobs. 
How can you be a player?

• Write your legislators about bills that affect our agency.
• Check the WFSE Hotline (www.wfse.com) for breaking news, or better yet, subscribe to their email hotline.
• Call your legislators about fast-moving bills.
• Be a member-lobbyist and tell your story to legislators face to face.
• Attend rallies that stand up for state employees.

 Here are a few bills you may be particularly interested in:

• 2459 - Updating hazardous waste fee provisions.
• 2508 - Regarding water right processing improvements.
• 2591 - Recovering the actual cost of processing applications for water right permits.
• 2998 - Suspending certain monetary awards and salary increases.
• 3070 - Providing fiscal reform.
• 3080 - Regarding information technology in state government.
• 6242 - Updating hazardous waste fee provisions.
• 6257 - Concerning water discharge fees.
• 6267 - Regarding water right processing improvements.
• 6503 - Closing state agencies on specified dates.

 To learn more about a bill:

• Visit the legislative website (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/) and look up the bill read the bill or the bill report.
• Visit TVW and watch the committee hearing on the bill.

Please remember: Do not use state resources to lobby your legislators. Take action on your own time and with your home phone or computer.  ■

Furlough Bill, SSB 6503, Passes Out of Committee and Moves On to the Floor of the House – excerpted from the WFSE Hotline


The House Ways and Means Committee on Monday night passed out the state employee furlough bill, SSB 6503, somewhat better than it was but still a bad bill.

The bill as it passed the committee gives agencies more flexibility to reduce compensation costs that could include furloughs. The bill does not mandate furloughs, but if agencies don’t come up with plans, then employees in that agency would have to take 11 days of temporary layoff or furlough. An earlier House draft had mandated furlough days whether an agency submitted a plan or not.
SSB 6503 as it passed the committee also calls for $50 million in state compensation savings, with $10 million coming from the Washington Management Service and the exempt service. The Senate version called for $69 million in savings, with no mandate in WMS and EMS.

Each General Government agency unit would bargain separately. For Higher Education, it appears that all but the University of Washington and Washington State University would bargain in one big coalition of all unions. UW and WSU would bargain separately.
On the final committee vote, Rep. Sam Hunt, D-22nd Dist., and Rep. Steve Conway, D-29th Dist., voted no.

The full House may vote on the bill later this week.