WSLC Legislative Update -- February 4, 2005

Question #1: Is there a politician in the entire nation who didn't promise to do something about the healthcare crisis?

Well, after decades of hand-wringing and speechifying on the issue, little has been accomplished since President Clinton dipped his toe in the political waters of significant reform and found it was too cold. It is absolutely scandalous that the healthcare and insurance industries have the power to block any reforms the may harm their bottom lines, while U.S. businesses have watched their competitive edge dwindle to countries that provide universal health care.

Of course, it's working people who pay the price in the form of good jobs lost overseas, health benefits lost at the remaining jobs, and homes lost to medical-related bankruptcies.

Question #2: Of all the post-election spin regarding President Bush's narrow re-election, can't we all agree that many Americans -- including those who don't always support his policies -- find Bush's bold, decisive leadership style desirable?

Unfortunately, our president is devoting all his political capital and leadership skills to inventing "crises" where they don't exist (Social Security, Iraq, etc.) and ignoring the one in front of the nation's collective face. So it is not realistic for working families to expect progress on healthcare issues in Washington D.C., even though that's where the problem ultimately will have to be solved.

Here in Washington state, voters have decided they want Democrats in charge, and now is the time for some bold Bush-style leadership to do what can be done at the state level to address the healthcare crisis. It is exactly that type of leadership that can restore voters' confidence that the Democrats are the party of the people.

Early indications are that the Democrats understand this and are up to the task. One of Gov. Christine Gregoire's very first acts was to flex her executive muscles and prevent 19,000 children in this state from losing health care.

And now Democrats in both the House and Senate have sponsored new legislation that says all of us -- businesses, workers, legislators, hospitals and other healthcare providers -- must step up to the plate and take responsibility for addressing the healthcare crisis in Washington state.

Fair Share Lobby Day:
THURSDAY, FEB. 17

Mark your calendar for Thursday, Feb. 17. That's the Olympia Lobby Day for the Washington Fair Share Coalition, a group of community, senior, business, health care provider, women's, religious and labor organizations that support the Health Care Responsibility Act. The WSLC is proud to be part of this coalition.

Lobby Day participants will attend an 8 a.m. House Health Care Committee hearing on the HCRA, after which there will be a quick training session on where to find your local legislators and how to urge their support of the HCRA. There will be a rally at noon and then the Senate Health Care Committee will hear the bill at 3:30 p.m. Some unions are arranging buses or carpools, so call your local union to find out if they are part of the effort.

The WSLC will be posting more details in the coming days. Make sure you are on our e-mail list.

It's called the Health Care Responsibility Act (HCRA). SB 5637 and HB 1702 would require employers of 50 or more in Washington state to take responsibility for providing basic, affordable health insurance to their employees. They would have a choice: they can purchase basic coverage on their own for employees who work more than 86 hours per month or pay a fee to help expand public insurance programs for the uninsured. Employers would not be required to cover dependents, and employees are expected to pay a portion of their monthly premiums.

In a recent statewide poll, 83 percent of likely voters said they agree (67 percent strongly) that large corporations should be held accountable to minimum public standards, like providing health insurance to their employees.

A similar percentage of business owners should also agree. Most of them own small businesses that won't be affected by the HCRA, except that it will stop their big competitors from having labor costs subsidized through public health programs. And many larger businesses already meet the minimal requirements under HCRA and would welcome the restoration of a level playing field.

Without the HCRA, there will continue to be an incentive for big companies to drop health coverage and have taxpayers pick up their employees' tab through state-funded health programs. That's not fair to taxpayers and it's not fair to employers who do the right thing and provide benefits. All sectors -- public and private -- must do their part to help resolve the healthcare crisis. We are all in this together.

Well, maybe not all of us. The big business lobbying associations in Olympia will simplistically oppose the HCRA as an added "cost" of doing business and ignore its obvious benefits to many of their own members. That's because those lobbying groups are dominated and run by the corporate big boys, and for all their bluster about helping small businesses in this state that are struggling to survive, their first priority is to protect the interests of their biggest corporate funders, some of whom don't like the idea of taking responsibility for their role in the healthcare crisis.

We'll be describing this legislation in more detail in the coming weeks as it moves through the process. In the meantime we want to congratulate and thank the sponsors of these historic bills, all Democrats and one Republican-Without-a-Caucus (prime sponsors are listed first):

HB 1702: Representatives Eileen Cody (D-Seattle), Tom Campbell (R-Roy), Jim Moeller (D-Vancouver), Sherry Appleton (D-Poulsbo), Dawn Morrell (D-Puyallup), Tami Green (D-Lakewood), Steve Conway (D-Tacoma), Shay Schual-Berke (D-Normandy Park), Geoff Simpson (D-Covington), Jeannie Darnielle (D-Tacoma), Pat Lantz (D-Gig Harbor), Phyllis Kenney (D-Seattle), Ed Murray (D-Seattle), Timm Ormsby (D-Spokane), Maralyn Chase (D-Shoreline) and Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle).

SB 5637: Senators Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines), Pat Thibaudeau (D-Seattle), Rosa Franklin (D-Tacoma), Adam Kline (D-Seattle), Margarita Prentice (D-Renton), Rosemary McAuliffe (D-Bothell) and Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle).

Do you see your local legislators listed? Please call them on the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and thank them for their leadership on this critical issue.

Speaking of health care, legislation to finally end insurance discrimination against people who suffer mental illnesses was approved 67-25 in the House. Thank many of the same legislators listed above -- especially HB 1154 sponsor Rep. Schual-Berke -- for their leadership and perseverance on requiring mental health parity in insurance benefits. This bill has been introduced in some form for eight years now.

If it passes the State Senate as expected, you can also thank voters. They had the wisdom to remove from power the handful of obstructionist Senate Republican leaders who killed the bill without a vote in previous years. (Last year, it was one of the bills waiting to be voted upon on the session's final day when Senate GOP leaders skipped town early to avoid a vote on gay rights.)

Given its strong bipartisan support in the House, look for a similar lopsided Senate vote for passage. The Senate version of the bill is SB 5450, sponsored by Sen. Pat Thibaudeau (D-Seattle).

The Apprenticeship Utilization Bill passed the Senate on a 27-19 vote Wednesday, a major step toward promoting more family-wage training opportunities throughout Washington.

SB 5097, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle), would codify and make permanent the executive order requiring 15 percent of work hours on major public works projects be performed by state-approved apprentices, a standard in place for nearly five years now. The House version, HB 1028 sponsored by Rep. Steve Conway (D-Tacoma), was approved last week by the House Labor and Commerce Committee and could get a floor vote at any time.

The Washington State Labor Council’s 2005 Legislative Conference begins at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, February 24 at the Red Lion Olympia Hotel. All union members are invited to attend and get updates on the status of legislation affecting working families from Olympia leaders, including Gov. Christine Gregoire, and labor lobbyists. The registration fee is $30 and includes materials, lunch and admission to the legislative reception Wednesday night. Download a registration form (MS Word format) or call 206-281-8901 for details.

MONDAY, Feb. 7 -- At 3:30 p.m., the House Appropriations Committee will hear bills allowing the expansion of the prescription drug-buying consortium and the reimportation of cheaper drugs from other countries; also at 3:30 p.m., Senate Health Care hears SB 5368 dealing with mandatory overtime for nurses.

WEDNESDAY -- At 8 a.m., House Commerce and Labor hears HB 1724, HB 1725 and HCR 4404 regarding offshoring of public services and studying the degree to which state-subsidized businesses are offshoring jobs.

THURSDAY -- At 1:30 p.m., House Children and Family Services hears HB 1636 on adopting a wage ladder for child care workers.

FRIDAY -- At 1:30 p.m., House Higher Education hears HB 1556 requiring business and labor representation on each community college board of trustees.