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What's New

L&I Considers Regulatory Relief for HVAC and Electrical Contractors

August 14, 2012 in Blog

The state Department of Labor & Industries is considering some significant changes to the Washington Administrative Code related to electrical permits.   After a series of meetings with those in the industry who must navigate the maze of regulations and permits associated with electrical work, L&I’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) approved several proposed WAC changes that, if passed, would provide relief to HVAC and electrical contractors.  Most of the proposed changes pertain to low voltage, but they also effect high voltage as well. 

Wisconsin-style Reforms Could Boost Funding for Washington Public Schools

August 13, 2012 in Publications
By

Paul Guppy, Vice President for Research

, August, 2012

Amid the swirl and controversy of the recall election in Wisconsin, the underlying policies the state legislature enacted more than a year ago by passing Act 10 have been steadily implemented.  Now that the dust has settled, it’s a good time to review the changes Wisconsin enacted, and whether they offer practical ways our own lawmakers can improve public education for Washington’s children.

President's Job Council Takes Six-month Break While Unemployment Increases by 34,000

July 24, 2012 in Blog

President Obama claims creating jobs is among his top priorities, yet his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness hasn’t met publicly in more than six months.

Infographic: 100,000 Rules for Small Businesses in Washington State

Infographic courtesy of thinkstate.org based on research from Washington Policy Center's 7 Steps on the Road to Economic Recovery.

Labor Seeks to Extract Promises from Candidates to Harm Business Climate

July 12, 2012 in Blog

Organized labor is ginning up its campaign to make sure candidates know there will be a price for failing to toe to the labor line. 

L&I Has Run Out of Road to Kick the Can Down

July 2, 2012 in Blog

Two years ago Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) director Judy Schurke went to great lengths to dismiss the State Auditor’s findings that the state’s monopoly workers’ compensation system was at risk of insolvency.

How is Creating Green Jobs Like Banning Tractors to Create Farm Jobs?

June 25, 2012 in Blog

Recently the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts released a graphic purporting to show "green" technologies create more jobs than traditional energy sources. The graphic below has been distributed widely by advocates of creating "green jobs." This is a common assertion from the environmental left.

As I note in my book Eco-Fads, this claim is made by many on the left.

High Unemployment Benefit Encourages High Unemployment Rate

June 14, 2012 in Blog

A few weeks back Fox News did a story on the labor crisis looming in Eastern Washington.  Despite an unemployment rate of 9.6% in Franklin County, farmers there can’t find enough workers to harvest their asparagus crops.  Without the labor to cut the asparagus, farmers are forced to let 10% of their crops go unharvested.  Fox News was interested in Washington Policy Center’s perspective on the phenomenon—a county with double-digit unemployment that has plen

The Real World Consequences of a High Minimum Wage

June 6, 2012 in Blog

Increasing the minimum wage sounds like a great idea to a lot of people—at least until they realize increases in minimum wage result in fewer jobs for the very people minimum wages are supposed to help.

A survey released by the Employment Policies Institute shows 81 percent of respondents support raising the minimum wage.  That approval plummets to 46 percent when presented with research showing the wage increase makes it more difficult for young, inexperienced and minority workers to find employment.

2012 Total Debt Scorecard

How much do Washingtonians owe in state public debt and liabilities?

The people of Washington have made it clear that they do not want elected officials to raise taxes or increase the public debt.

Public spending tends to grow over time because government has no competitors and cannot be put out of business, so it operates without the natural discipline of the private sector. Instead, policymakers tend to channel public money toward advancing special interests.