WPC Ideas That Became Law in 2011
Washington Policy Center is an independent, non-profit think tank that uses high-quality research to propose policy ideas that help make Washington a better place to live, raise a family and do business. Below is a summary of 13 WPC policy recommendations that were enacted by the legislature and signed by the governor in 2011.
1. Regulatory relief for small business owners. House Bill 1150 gives small business owners a grace period of at least eight days when found in violation of a minor state rule. During the grace period no state penalties or fines can be levied. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Norma Smith (R-Clinton) and signed by the governor on April 11th. The idea originated at Washington Policy Center’s 2009 Statewide Small Business Conference and was included in WPC’s most recent small business policy study, “Lead the Way, Small Business and the Road to Recovery.”
2. Requiring state regulators to listen to small business owners. Senate Bill 5500 requires state agencies to consult with small businesses before creating or expanding regulations that impact the business climate. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane) and signed by the governor on May 3rd. This policy recommendation came from Washington Policy Center’s 2010 study “Regulatory Reform: Strengthening Washington’s Regulatory Fairness Act.”
3. Legalizing Innovation Schools in Washington. House Bill 1546 allows parents and educators to create Innovation Schools that operate free of certain state regulations and let local education officials to meet the specific needs of their students. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Mark Hargrove (R-Covington) and signed by the governor on May 5th. The idea was advanced in 2010 when Washington Policy Center brought Dr. Rob Stein, nationally-recognized Innovation School pioneer and principal of Denver’s Manual High School, to Seattle to speak at WPC’s annual education policy luncheon. Innovation schools were also proposed in two recent WPC education studies.
4. Ensuring highway tolls are used for highway purposes. Ever since the Tacoma Narrows Bridge project, toll revenue has been placed in an account separate from the Motor Vehicle Fund, which skirts the constitutional requirement that highway revenue must be used to fund highway projects. House Bill 1382 contained a provision that requires toll revenue collected on I-405 be placed in the Motor Vehicle Fund, thus protecting these funds for highway purposes under the constitution. The governor signed the bill on May 16th. Washington Policy Center published a Legislative Memo and testified by invitation in support of protecting toll revenue for highway purposes. While this bill only applies to tolls on collected on I-405, it is a significant step toward establishing a statewide policy protecting toll revenue.
5. Expanding the use of public/private partnerships in road projects. House Bill 1175, the state transportation budget, funds a study of using public/private partnerships to build five major state road projects. The study will identify the obstacles in using public/private partnerships and provide recommendations on how to overcome them. Washington Policy Center has long advocated using public/private partnerships to build transportation infrastructure as one of its Five Principles of Responsible Transportation Policy. The governor signed the bill on May 16th.
6. Giving state employees access to Health Savings Accounts. Senate Bill 5773 allows state employees and their families to choose a personal Health Savings Account as their employer-provided health coverage. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Joseph Zarelli (R-Ridgefield) and signed by the governor on May 31st. WPC’s book Policy Guide for Washington State recommends allowing HSAs as a health care choice for public employees, so they have access to the same benefit choices available in the private sector.
7. Giving Washington lawmakers control over the state Medicaid program. Senate Bill 5596 requires the state Department of Social and Health Services to seek a “Medicaid Modernization” waiver from the federal government. If granted, the waiver would provide the state with stable, sustainable Medicaid funding and provide the flexibility to reduce costs. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Linda Evans Parlette (R-Wenatchee) and signed by the governor on May 31st. The idea was promoted in the WPC Legislative Memo “Health Care Freedom for Washington State” by Dr. Roger Stark published in February, and in The Seattle Times in a WPC op-ed written with Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers.
8. Ending the wasteful Marine Employees Commission. A section of Senate Bill 5742 eliminates the Marine Employees Commission, effective July 1, 2013. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen (D-Camano Island) and signed by the governor on June 7th. WPC’s Washington State Piglet Book on government waste called for ending the Commission, at a savings of $422,000, because it overlaps with existing agencies that already oversee state worker pay and benefits.
9. Enhancing the state’s constitutional rainy-day account. Senate Joint Resolution 8206 requires “extraordinary revenue growth” to be transferred to the constitutional savings account created by voters in 2007. This proposed constitutional amendment was sponsored by Sens. Zarelli, Brown, Pridemore, Tom, Kilmer, White and Parlette and will be before voters for ratification this fall. WPC recommended this constitutional reform in the study “Ending the Spending Crisis: Structural Reforms for a Sustainable State Budget” published in January.
10. Restructuring state government and allowing competitive contracting. Senate Bill 5931 consolidates several current functions of state government covered by different agencies and directs the Office of Financial Management to select at least six activities each biennium to be reviewed for contracting out through competitive bidding. The bill was sponsored by Sens. Baumgartner and Zarelli and signed by the governor on June 15th. WPC recommended this policy through its work on the governor’s Committee on Transforming Washington’s Budget and in the study “Ending the Spending Crisis: Structural Reforms for a Sustainable State Budget.”
11. Giving students credit for completing online courses. A provision of House Bill 2065 requires school districts to give students who have completed an approved online academic course credit toward fulfilling their graduation requirements. The provision was sponsored by Sen. Rodney Tom (D-Bellevue) and the bill was signed by the governor on June 15th. WPC’s study “Online Learning in Washington State” recommends that school districts allow students to use online courses to meet their graduation requirements.
12. Lowering the cost of the Workers’ Compensation program. House Bill 2123 would allow the state to offer structured settlements to injured workers age 55 and older. If the worker chooses, he would receive his full benefit in a series of lump-sum payments, rather than as a traditional pension paid out over his lifetime. The bill was signed by the governor on June 15th. In the study “Lead the Way, Small Business and the Road to Recovery,” WPC recommended workers’ compensation reforms that save money and allow injured workers to receive their benefits as lump-sum payments. The bill is expected to lower the cost of Workers’ Compensation by $1 billion over four years.
13. Reducing the burden of payroll taxes on Washington Businesses. House Bill 1091 replaces a proposed 40% increase in the Unemployment Insurance payroll tax with a “rate smoothing” mechanism to even out rate changes over time, resulting in millions of dollars in savings to Washington businesses over the next several years. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Mike Sells (D-Everett) and signed by the governor on February 11th. This policy recommendation to ease the burden of the Unemployment Insurance program on businesses was proposed in the WPC Legislative Memo “2011 Recommendations for Improving Washington's Small Business Climate.”