Top legislative leaders, state officials pay visit to Small Business Day attendees
State Director Patrick Connor reports from Olympia on the legislative week ending February 8
NFIB thanks its members for braving the threat of Snowmageddon to attend Small Business Day (SBD) 2019 on Thursday, February 7. Fortunately, the impending blizzard decided to wait until Friday to arrive. For those unable to make it to Olympia, we set up a virtual SBD, which drew some 150 responses from members across the state.
NFIB marked the start of Week 4 of the 2019 legislative session with an evening-commute interview on KGMI-AM 790 News/Talk radio in Bellingham, discussing key issues before the Legislature and promoting Small Business Day.
We engaged on the following issues of concern to small business this week.
Taxes
- NFIB noted its remaining concerns, and the progress made in negotiations with proponents, on House Bill 1087’s payroll tax to fund a Long-Term Care Trust in written comments to the House Appropriations Committee.
- We went on record opposing House Bill 1527, renaming and expanding both eligibility and the potential payout for the never-funded Working Families Tax Credit. Basically, the bill would send checks to lower-income individuals as a rebate on sales taxes paid.
- NFIB also communicated its opposition to House Bill 1566, a tax credit for creating jobs in designated counties. This was again based on NFIB-member ballots showing strong support for fewer tax preferences to achieve lower overall B&O rates.
Labor
- NFIB testified against House Bill 1491, the restrictive scheduling bill.
- We also opposed House Bill 1514, allowing wage liens to be filed against an employer’s assets.
- NFIB went on record opposing House Bill 1575 and Senate Bill 5623, companion bills seeking to undermine the US Supreme Court’s Janus decision. Similarly, we opposed Senate Bill 5295, allowing card check for unionizing homecare or other employees of firms contracting with the state Department of Social and Health Services.
- We signed in against House Bill 1601, limiting independent contractors and establishing wage boards in designated industries, when it was heard by the House labor committee, and NFIB testified against a nearly identical Senate Bill 5690 in the Senate labor committee.
- NFIB requested an amendment to the penalty structure in House Bill 1696, exposing employers to double-jeopardy of administrative and judicial sanction for the same alleged violation occurring at the same time. The bill would expand the requirements of the Equal Pay Opportunities Act by further limiting employers’ ability to request salary history and requiring them to make available salary information for job postings.
- We opposed Senate Bill 5226, prohibiting an employer from terminating or refusing to hire an individual for engaging in off-duty expression or activities protected by the First Amendment. NFIB pointed out that participation in some lawful, though unsavory, activities should be grounds for termination or denial of employment if associated with the employer.
- NFIB also testified against Senate Bill 5740, replacing the existing Small Business Retirement Marketplace with a “secure choice retirement savings program.” Under this bill, employers not offering a 401(k) or other retirement programs would be required to enroll employees in this retirement program and auto-deduct contributions from their pay, unless the worker opted-out. We oppose more mandates on employers that increase their recordkeeping and reporting requirements, as well as exposing them to additional audit by state agencies. In this case, NFIB also pointed out the existing Small Business Retirement Marketplace has had neither sufficient time nor resources to make it well-known to small employers.
There was no significant activity on health care or environmental issues to report this week, for a change.
Previous Reports From the State Capitol
February 1—Barbers Cosmetologists Mobilize Against Bill-Win
January 25—Latest Bill Draft Still a Tangled Mess for Hairstylists
January 18—NFIB Plunges Into Thick of Legislative Action
January 11—Washington State Legislature Opens for Business
Speakers at NFIB’s 2019 Small Business Day included, top row from left to right: Rep. Kelly Chambers, an NFIB member; Jason McGill, health policy adviser to Gov. Jay Inslee; Rep. Gael Tarleton. Bottom row, from left to right: Liz Smith, deputy director of Dept. of Labor & Industries; Rep. Andrew Barkis; Sen. Marko Liias; Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber.
