Some HOUSE BILLS of concern (as of May 4)

Collective bargaining for child-care center workers and managers.

Modifying collective bargaining laws to authorizes the boards of community and technical colleges to provide additional compensation to academic employees. Learn more.

Applies prevailing wage requirements to construction projects that involve tax incentives, or public loans or lands.

Extending sales tax to candy to fund local public health programs.

Passed House 92-0; amended and passed by Senate 45-0; House concurred 94-0; Governor signed

Considering the forest products industry to be a "green industry" for the purposes of promoting green jobs in industries that rely on state's working land base.

Providing leave from employment for participating in a child's educational activities.

Passed House 92-0; amended and passed Senate 47-0; House concurred 94-1; Governor signed

Authorizing the department of natural resources to enter into forest biomass supply agreements.

Revising classroom requirements for electrical trainees.

Allowing workers forced to leave jobs due to "unreasonable hardship" to receive U.I. benefits. (Also see SB 6334.) Learn more.

Establishing a farm worker-grower advisory committee.

Granting L&I subpoena power to enforce production of information related to electricians and electrical installations.

The Jobs Act of 2010 would put before voters this fall the question of whether to issue $850 million $505 million in bonds (as amended) and create an estimated 38,000 30,000 jobs doing energy repair and retrofitting work at public schools, state colleges and universities, and other public facilities. Learn more. 

Regarding the scope of collective bargaining for nontenured faculty at community and technical colleges. (Companion: SB 6746 is also dead.)  

Prioritizes categories for worker training and creates the Opportunity Express Account to fund certain training programs.

Granting collective bargaining rights to certain employees of higher education institutions, including some managers and supervisors. (Companion: SB 6290 is dead.) 

Requiring labor representation on community college boards of trustees. 

Creating the Washington Works Housing Program to create $1 billion of housing for the working poor within proximity of transit for easy access to employment. This housing will create thousands of prevailing wage construction jobs and housing equity for low-income workers. 

Requiring contractors that produce certain pre-fabricated items for large public-works contracts to submit payroll records and other information.

Privatizing the state liquor system by closing some of the state's stores and replacing them with contract liquor stores. (Also see HB 3189.)

Allow private insurance companies to sell workers' compensation coverage in Washington. This allows companies like A.I.G. (the biggest private industrial insurer in the country) to bring their tax-subsidized talent for quashing claims, restricting benefits and profiting from workplace injury into our state. Learn more.

Privatizing the sale of liquor. Learn more.

Allowing workers' compensation compromise-and release (also known as starve-and-settle). This also would allow companies to force injured workers to see company doctors rather than their medical providers of choice. (Companion: SB 6638 is also dead.)

Merging the state printer into the Department of Information Services, saving the state about $6 million. Learn more.

Requiring the appointment of nonvoting labor members on public transportation governing bodies. Learn more.

Merging the functions of the public printer into the department of general administration.

Eliminating the public printer and transferring print functions to the department of information services. (Companion: SB 6606 is dead.)

Providing uninterrupted meal and rest breaks for hospital employees.

Concerning child welfare services.

Concerning the unemployment insurance system, but only with respect to improving unemployment benefits and adjusting unemployment contributions. (Title-only bill.) Learn more.

Privatizing the workers' compensation system.

Working for Clean Water bill extending the tax on hazardous substances to clean up toxic pollution to also cover stormwater pollution cleanup. This will create almost 16,000 jobs over the next 10 years. (Companion: SB 6851) Learn more. This could be among the jobs legislation considered in the special session.

The latest version of liquor store privatization legislation. First introduced on Feb. 16 and scheduled for a hearing the next day, this bill is considered budget-related, so it's exempt from legislative cutoff deadlines. Learn more.

Urges Congress to enact AgJOBS, the federal Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act. AgJOBS would provide a legal, stable labor supply and help ensure that farmworkers are treated fairly, including offering undocumented workers an "earned legalization" pathway to permanent status. Learn more.

Some SENATE BILLS of concern (as of May 4)

Passed Senate 30-17; passed House 60-36; Governor signed

Giving higher education institutions more authority to raise tuition without legislative approval. (Companion: HB 2946 is dead.)

Repealing the sales tax exemption for coal used at a coal-fired thermal generation facility. (Companion: HB 3077 is dead.)

Addressing the recommendations of the joint task for on the underground economy.

Lowering employers' unemployment insurance rates another $241 million from 2010-15. (Companion: HB 2920 is also dead.) Learn more.