Reps. Bruce Chandler and Barbara Bailey listen as Rick Anderson of Sakuma Brothers Farms and Processors testifies before the House Labor and Workforce Development Committee on a bill to expand the Blueprint for Safety for employers statewide, Jan. 25. Courtesy House of Representatives

Reps. Bruce Chandler and Barbara Bailey are sponsoring House Bill 2509, which would offer more tools to employers to manage their environments safely and productively. The bill received a public hearing on Jan. 25.
If signed into law, the legislation would require the state Department of Labor and Industries to offer the Blueprint for Safety program statewide. Currently, it is offered as a pilot in Northwest Washington.
“The Legislature often hears many contentious issues dealing with the Department of Labor and Industries. This is a success story for the department, and one I hope can become the trademark for how employers and the department approach workplace safety,” said Chandler, R-Granger. “The key to the success is complete buy-in from the top down within a company. The department helps employers focus on changing the atmosphere and not on code issues or citations.”
Several of the 12 companies that currently participate in the program are located in Bailey’s 10th District.
“The goal for Blueprint for Safety is to improve the safety of employees and lower the costs for employers. It is a win-win for everyone,” said Bailey, R-Oak Harbor. “This is about doing more than just enforcement, penalties and inspections – it’s about working with employers to create a culture of safety.”
Two employers currently in the pilot program expressed their support for expanding it statewide for other employers.
Gary Thor, the CEO of Commercial Cold Storage in Mount Vernon, submitted written testimony. In it, he explained the success of the program.
“Last year, we spent six straight months without an accident – prior to Blueprint for Safety we rarely went one month without an accident,” Thor said. “We still have a ways to go, but I feel we are becoming a much safer work place. Our success is not unique; every company that has joined Blueprint for Safety has seen similar success. This program works and works well.”
Rick Anderson, the Corporate Administrator for Sakuma Brothers Farms and Processors, shared why Blueprint for Safety was important to his company.
“We worked hard on our accident prevention program and yet we struggled with our experience rating,” Anderson explained. “We knew we had to create a culture of safety if we were going to make positive changes. We needed help. If [the state’s employers] have fewer claims, the costs to the system is reduced and we won’t need rate increases.”
The bill now awaits action by the House Labor and Workforce Development Committee. If it is passed by the committee, it could be considered for a vote by the entire House of Representatives. The 60-day regular session is scheduled through March 8.

OLYMPIA – A classroom assistant in Yelm makes $900 per month and pays $750 per month in insurance.

A school office clerk in Sultan pays $689 per month in insurance coverage for her and her husband.

A school bus driver in Camas works just 20 hours a week yet pays $730 for insurance coverage.

These are just a small sample of the many stories from classified employees in the state who pay astronomical health insurance rates to cover themselves and their families.

Under Senate Bill 6442, sponsored by Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, the approximately 300 insurance plans and 1,000 insurance pools for the 295 school districts throughout Washington will be consolidated into one. This will create savings through greatly reduced administrative costs.

The bill is part of the Senate Democrats’ reform agenda.

“One of the most valued benefits that workers have is their health insurance,” Hobbs said during Thursday’s testimony in the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee. “And during these trying times, it is incredibly important that we try to preserve health insurance. I know that it has been talked about that this bill provides savings, but I didn’t do this for savings, I did this so we could cover more hard working people that teach our kids.”

The current system for classified K-12 workers favors individual coverage over family coverage, which can run upwards of $1,300 per month. Many public school employees – such as bus drivers, janitors, para-educators and lunch room workers – spend more than half their salaries on health insurance coverage. Without reform, these rates will only get worse with 10 percent health insurance inflation expected over the next two years.

Ken Flournoy and his wife Nicole have been employed by the Bethel School District for six years. In 2010, after 14 years away, Ken re-enlisted in the National Guard in order to provide full medical coverage for Nicole and their two kids, one of whom has special needs.

“In this day and age, a family can’t go without insurance,” Ken Flournoy said. “But every year we’ve watched our premiums go up. There comes a point when you have to choose between cutting out the necessities or paying for insurance. That’s a decision no family should have to make.”

The State Auditor and Health Care Authority estimate that a consolidated system could save tens of millions of dollars per year. A similar plan implemented in Oregon three years ago has saved $150 million.

OLYMPIA – A bill sponsored by Sen. Nick Harper, D-Everett, is designed to give juvenile offenders the opportunity to earn a living and find housing as adults without being haunted by their past.

The laws governing juvenile records were written decades ago before information was disseminated to potential employers and landlords by credit bureaus and commercial database companies. Senate Bill 6292 would update laws to reflect the modern flow of information while protecting public safety.

The bill ensures that the records of juveniles who commit serious violent offenses remain open to the public. Records for lesser crimes will be made confidential unless a judge finds a compelling reason to make them public.

All juvenile records will continue to be available to the courts so that judges, prosecutors and those administering treatment and supervision are familiar with an offender’s history.

“Our goal is to make sure kids don’t become career criminals. We make a promise to the kids who enter our justice system that if they pay their dues, go through treatment, do their time and don’t reoffend that they will have the opportunity to lead normal lives,” Harper said. “This bill will make sure that credit card companies and other for-profit databases aren’t allowed to break that promise for lesser crimes that have been rectified through rehabilitation.”

“However, if someone is a persistent offender I believe they forfeit that right to confidentiality.”

SB 6292, heard Friday by the Senate Human Services & Corrections Committee, came as a result of the bi-partisan recommendations received from the Juvenile Records Sealing Task Force.  Groups and individuals who signed up in favor of the bill include the Washington State Superior Court Judges Association, the Juvenile Court Administrators, children’s advocates and record sealing experts.

As the 2012 Legislative Session began, Rep. Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens, was one of the first lawmakers to propose innovative legislation. Rep. Hope introduced several bills that would reform police procedures.
“It took a lot of discussions with stakeholders to get legislation that everyone felt would address several publicized image problems pertaining to law enforcement. The most important aspect of these bills is that they start the discussion. Now legislators can ask: what can be improved, how do we go about that, and how do we ensure Washington law enforcement policy doesn’t become federally regulated.” said Hope.
Rep. Hope has two bills that address the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigation into SPD’s use of force. One of the bills would establish a bi-partisan task force to review DOJ methodologies regarding use of force by Seattle police.
“Recommendations adopted by Seattle would have a statewide impact. We need a task force that can examine the data used in the DOJ report without prejudice. I personally believe that the Seattle officials are too close to the issue; however, the DOJ is too far removed. At the end of the day police officers are public servants and should be subordinate to elected officials chosen by the people. These bills are about taking law enforcement decisions away from bureaucrats and letting the public have a voice,” said Hope.
Hope’s second bill addressing the DOJ keeps local or state law enforcement from instituting recommendations that are the jurisdiction of the congress as stated in the Tenth Amendment. After weeks of discussion, this bill is supported by the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs and the Council of Metropolitan Police and Sheriffs.
Additional bills in the reform package address an aspect of law enforcement that is already standard policy for many police departments. However, in light of recent events, Hope feels making these policies into law is necessary.
“Police officers are a very professional group of people and need to have high standards. Recent events may have been prevented if there had been laws in place that required agencies to take action. As a state legislator and police officer, I feel this legislation regarding drug use and testing is crucial to public safety,” said Hope.
With House Bills 2627 and 2628 the legislature will ensure that police and fire departments suspend employees who are involved in the use of illegal drugs; and require random drug testing of public safety personnel.

Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, is inviting constituents in the 10th District to participate in a telephone town hall meeting Thursday, Jan. 26. The community conversation begins at 6:30 p.m. and will last one hour.

To participate, residents may call the toll-free number at 1-877-229-8493 and enter the code 14881 when prompted. During the telephone town hall, Smith will listen to residents, answer questions and discuss a variety of topics related to the 2012 session. Once on the line, participants may select star 3 on their telephone keypads to ask a question or they can simply listen in and take part in instant polls. There will also be an opportunity at the end of the call to leave a message for Smith.

“The Legislature is currently working through a $1.5 billion budget shortfall. In the first couple weeks of session we have also heard proposals for education reforms, new transportation revenues, job creation measures, and many other critical issues,” said Smith. “It is important I receive input from constituents on these difficult issues, and it is a great opportunity to connect with residents spread out across our legislative district.”

Constituents who are unable to participate in the telephone town hall meeting can reach Smith at her legislative office at (360) 786-7884 or norma.smith@leg.wa.gov.

OLYMPIA – “It’s just common sense and common decency that deployed military parents and military parents who are under some other service obligation shouldn’t have to worry about their visitation rights with their kids,” emphasized state Rep. John McCoy.

“We should always go above and beyond to respect the parental rights and obligations of service personnel,” McCoy said, “especially when these fathers and mothers are serving during a time of war.”

The Tulalip Democrat is prime-sponsoring House Bill 1050, which:
Allows a military parent to ask the court to delegate the parent’s residential time with a child if the parent’s military orders involve being more than one night away when the parent is scheduled to have time with a child.

And provides that the delegation provision applies when establishing a parenting plan or court order, not just when modifying an existing plan or order.
Terms of the legislation direct that a military parent could ask a court to delegate the parent’s residential time or visitation rights “to a child’s family member, including a stepparent, or another person other than a parent, with a close and substantial relationship to the minor child for the duration of the military parent’s absence, [as long as] delegating residential time or visitation rights is in the child’s best interest.”

State law has resulted in court decisions that are “for the most part indifferent to the rights of military parents,” McCoy said. “But certainly if a dad or mom is away because they’re serving our country in the military, their parental rights should not be compromised.”

The issue hits home particularly hard here in Washington, which of all the states has one of the largest populations of active-duty military personnel.

McCoy’s measure passed the House of Representatives unanimously last year, but time ran out on the 2011 session before the measure could clear the Senate. The bill is now awaiting the scheduling of 2012 floor action in the House, and McCoy said he’s optimistic that it will make it all the way through the process this year.

Governor Chris Gregoire delivered her annual state of the state address to the Washington State Legislature Jan. 10.  Her speech can be found here.

Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, released the statement below following the governor’s address:

“The governor delivered a good speech, but her themes were more aspirational and legacy-centric than based on addressing the problems facing families and employers today. With so many people out of work or fearful that they could lose their jobs, the governor is promoting new revenue packages and controversial social issues in a 60-day legislative session. She should share the same goals as the Legislature: to establish a sustainable budget that does not rely on new tax increases, and to reform state government in meaningful ways that help, and do not harm, the economy.

“If the Legislature focuses on big-ticket issues in this short legislative session, it will be to the detriment of its most important priorities – a responsible state spending plan, prioritizing state government and strengthening the economy. Our state needs to prove that it can get its fiscal house in order before it even considers some of the lofty ideas being proposed by the governor.

“If you look at her past state of the state addresses, you will see that the governor has said a lot of the same things over the years. Yet, our state still faces many of the same problems as the day she entered office. It just shows how Olympia is truly adverse to meaningful reforms and beholden to the status quo.”

Rep. Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens, plans to introduce a package of legislation that would reform police operations. Hope, who serves on the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee, says the reform package contains three bills aimed to protect both citizens and law enforcement officers.
Some of the reform package legislation is already policy for many police departments across Washington. However, in light of recent events, Hope feels making these policies into law is necessary.

“No one is above the law,” Hope said, “but many of these policies are not law, which leaves ambiguity. Clearly we need to make sure citizens are safe. Just as importantly, we need to ensure the lives of our police are protected too. Lazy policy execution or unclear polices can be destructive.”

One bill in the reform package mandates: if there is “probable cause” any officer, or employee, is under the influence of drugs they must relinquish their weapon and be placed on administrative leave pending investigation.

The second bill of the package makes randomized drug testing mandatory for public safety personnel.

“In order to protect police and citizens, and adequately train law enforcement officers, state government needs to be involved in deciding which policies can be responsibly implemented,” Hope said.

As a result, the third bill in Hope’s reform package creates a bipartisan task force to review the methodology and statistics sited in the Department of Justice (DOJ) report on Seattle Police Department (SPD) use of force.

Seattle Mayor, Mike McGinn, instructed changes outlined by the DOJ report be implemented by the SPD after a meeting with Police Chief, John Diaz. State lawmakers were not invited to participate in the meeting or any subsequent discussions. According to Hope these implementations could have a statewide impact.

“Putting the DOJ recommendations into practice will effect law enforcement across Washington. SPD is a lead agency that dictates curriculum at the state Criminal Justice Training Commission. We are elected to represent the people, so if changes made in Seattle are going to affect police departments in Lake Stevens, Yakima, or Spokane then lawmakers need to see the data and decide what steps should be taken.”

Hope’s reform package is supported by The Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs (WACOPS). At their request he will be speaking at the winter WACOPS membership meeting regarding the reform package and recent activity that sparked the need for the reform legislation.

Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton and lead Republican on economic development issues in the Washington State House of Representatives, issued the following statement on the Jan. 9 opening day of the 2012 legislative session:

“Entering my fifth legislative session, it is an honor to once again be in Olympia serving the constituents of the Tenth Legislative District. As we begin this session, it is imperative to remember that Washington state has adequate dollars available to fund our core priorities. Basic education, public safety, and protecting our most vulnerable must receive our first tax dollars before all other programs, and must not be held hostage while lower priorities continue to spread our resources too thin to meet critical obligations to our children, families, and communities across the state.

“While our economy is struggling to rebound, positive steps taken by the Legislature this session can help accelerate a sustainable recovery. While much uncertainty still remains, the good news is the state of Washington is projected to see a seven percent increase in tax collections this biennium over last, equating to about two billion dollars, and revenues since the November forecast are 20 million dollars above expectations.

“The focus of this session must remain on passing a balanced and sustainable budget, and doing so in the 60-day regular session. While many of us in Olympia, and those we represent have different ideas as to how we should proceed in the coming weeks, I continue to believe the best solutions are often a result of many differing viewpoints, and a variety of individuals working together toward a common purpose.”

The 60-day 2012 legislative session begins today and runs through March 8.