WA Lege Day 22: Workers comp fight expected
OLYMPIA -- The Senate is expected to debate bills that would make changes in the state's workers compensation system today.
Changes in workers comp? you may ask. Didn't they strike a deal on that back in 2011?
Yes. But one of the changes they made, which was to allow woluntary structured settlements for injured workers aged 55 and older, is the subject of one of the bills, and Senate Republicans want to expand it to cover all workers. Labor-backed Democrats are opposed to that, arguing the younger the worker the greater the likelihood he or she could be coerced into a bad settlement.
Both business and labor will be watching this first big test of the majority coalition in the Senate. Whatever passes there still faces an uphill fight in the House.
Also on the agenda today are committee sessions on repealing the family and medical leave act, a sales tax holiday for back to school clothes and supplies, training wages, and a request for the feds to reclassify marijuana.
A full schedule for committee hearings can be found inside the blog.
Legislative Meeting Schedule
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Monday, February 04, 2013 |
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Time |
Committee |
Location |
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10:00 AM |
HOUSE SESSION/CAUCUS |
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Senate Hearing Rm 3 |
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Senate Hearing Rm 2 |
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Senate Hearing Rm 4 |
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Senate Hearing Rm 1 |
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12:00 PM |
SENATE SESSION/CAUCUS |
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1:30 PM |
Senate Hearing Rm 4 |
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Senate Hearing Rm 1 |
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Senate Hearing Rm 2 |
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House Hearing Rm B |
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House Hearing Rm A |
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3:30 PM |
Senate Hearing Rm 4 |
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House Hearing Rm A |
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House Hearing Rm B |
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House Committees
Appropriations
2/4/13 3:30 pm
House Full Committee
House Hearing Rm A
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA
Work Session:
1. Briefing on the Department of Corrections.
2. Briefing on the judicial agencies.
3. Briefing on Operating and Capital budget interaction.
Capital Budget
2/4/13 1:30 pm
House Full Committee
House Hearing Rm B
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA
Public Hearing: HB 1405 - Creating a competitive grant program for informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
Finance
2/4/13 1:30 pm
House Full Committee
House Hearing Rm A
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA
Public Hearing:
1. HB 1432 - Concerning county property tax levies.
2. HB 1329 - Creating a sales tax holiday for back-to-school clothing and supplies.
3. HB 1493 - Concerning the property taxation of mobile homes and park model trailers.
4. HB 1558 - Concerning the taxation of honey beekeepers.
5. HB 1568 - Concerning the business licensing service program administered by the department of revenue.
6. HB 1570 - Concerning filing requirements for property tax exemption claims for certain improvements to benefit fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, or water quantity.
Transportation
2/4/13 3:30 pm
House Full Committee
House Hearing Rm B
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA
Work Session:
1. Washington State Department of Transportation Tolling Division: Introduction and 2013 priorities.
2. Public transportation agencies and programs: Introduction and 2013 priorities.
Public Hearing: HB 1420 - Concerning public contracts for transportation improvement projects.
Senate Committees
The schedule is subject to the addition of more committee agendas. Please check our website, http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/pages/calendar.aspx
Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development*
2/4/13 10:00 am
Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 3
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA
REVISED 1/31/2013 2:55 PM
Public Hearing:
1. SB 5377 - Extending the program establishing Christmas tree grower licensure.
2. SB 5327 - Concerning small farms under the current use property tax program for farm and agricultural lands.
Work Session: Overview of irrigation in Washington State.
Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.
Commerce & Labor
2/4/13 1:30 pm
Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 4
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA
Public Hearing:
1. SB 5353 - Providing information to assist in unemployment insurance overpayment recovery.
2. SB 5354 - Changing the employment security department's settlement authority.
3. SB 5355 - Implementing the unemployment insurance integrity provisions of the federal trade adjustment assistance extension act of 2011.
4. SB 5356 - Changing the unemployment insurance shared work program by adopting short-time compensation provisions in the federal middle class tax relief and job creation act of 2012.
5. SB 5227 - Changing the corporate officer provisions of the employment security act.
6. SB 5360 - Addressing the collection of unpaid wages.
7. SB 5361 - Modifying payment methods on certain claimants' benefits.
8. SB 5362 - Addressing the recommendations of the vocational rehabilitation subcommittee for workers' compensation.
9. SB 5363 - Addressing industrial insurance for horse racing employment.
Executive Session:
1. SB 5159 - Repealing the family and medical leave insurance act.
2. SB 5275 - Allowing employers to pay a training wage for a specified period of time.
Other business.
Early Learning & K-12 Education
2/4/13 1:30 pm
Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 1
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA
Public Hearing:
1. SB 5246 - Clarifying the teacher and principal evaluation process with the intent of strengthening the process.
2. SB 5278 - Providing a salary bonus for teachers in high market demand subjects.
3. SB 5330 - Improving student achievement and student outcomes.
Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.
Governmental Operations
2/4/13 10:00 am
Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 2
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA
Public Hearing:
1. SB 5186 - Concerning contractor's bond.
2. SB 5185 - Concerning the powers of water-sewer districts.
3. SB 5218 - Revising the lien for collection of sewer charges by counties.
4. SB 5313 - Modifying the criteria for public works assistance.
5. SB 5349 - Revising alternative public works contracting procedures.
6. SB 5378 - Creating a six-year time frame for substantial building code amendments.
7. SB 5336 - Concerning the standard of evidence for appeals of valuation of property for purposes of taxation.
8. SB 5323 - Authorizing assessments for nuisance abatement in cities and towns.
Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.
Health Care *
2/4/13 10:00 am
Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 4
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA
REVISED 2/1/2013 9:17 AM
Work Session: I-502: Medical marijuana.
Public Hearing:
1. SJM 8000 - Requesting that the Drug Enforcement Administration reclassify medical marijuana as a Schedule II drug.
2. SB 5528 - Concerning the medical use of cannabis.
Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.
Human Services & Corrections*
2/4/13 10:00 am
Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 1
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA
REVISED 2/1/2013 9:23 AM
Public Hearing:
1. SB 5281 - Requiring an empirical study of the validity and reliability of the current child welfare safety assessment tool.
2. SB 5308 - Establishing the commercially sexually exploited children statewide coordinating committee.
3. SB 5288 - Concerning contracts for health care services for incarcerated offenders.
4. SB 5315 - Implementing the recommendations made by the Powell fatality team.
5. SJM 8003 - Requesting Congress to amend the Communications Decency Act.
Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.
Law & Justice*
2/4/13 1:30 pm
Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 2
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA
REVISED 2/1/2013 3:01 PM
Public Hearing:
1. SB 5236 - Creating the uniform correction or clarification of defamation act.
2. SB 5398 - Concerning the provision of and reimbursement for certain court interpreter services.
3. SB 5229 - Concerning the penalty schedule for alcohol and drug violators.
4. SB 5280 - Addressing criminal activities occurring at rental properties. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.)
Executive Session:
1. SB 5149 - Concerning crimes against pharmacies.
2. SB 5014 - Limiting the power of eminent domain.
3. SB 5135 - Concerning judicial proceedings and forms.
4. SB 5100 - Addressing the statute of limitations for sexual abuse against a child.
5. SB 5020 - Modifying indigent defense provisions.
6. SB 5067 - Concerning will provisions after a testator's marriage or domestic partnership is dissolved, invalidated, or terminated.
7. SB 5256 - Concerning the confidentiality of certain autopsy and postmortem reports and records.
8. SB 5064 - Concerning persons sentenced for offenses committed prior to reaching eighteen years of age.
9. SB 5053 - Modifying vehicle prowling provisions.
10. SB 5058 - Concerning assault of a corrections officer, law enforcement officer, or other employee of a law enforcement agency.
11. SB 5059 - Concerning the crime of rendering criminal assistance.
The proposed substitute can be obtained from committee staff or on the committee's website, http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/LAW/Pages/default.aspx. Other business.
Ways & Means
2/4/13 3:30 pm
Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 4
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA
Public Hearing:
1. SB 5445 - Funding capital projects.
2. SB 5285 - Increasing excise tax revenue with liquor license renewals.
3. SB 5287 - Eliminating accounts and funds.
4. SB 5383 - Removing one of the restrictions on collecting a pension in the public employees' retirement system for retirees returning to work.
5. SB 5283 - Concerning a business and occupation tax exemption for the Washington health benefit exchange established under chapter 43.71 RCW.
6. SB 5342 - Concerning a sales and use tax exemption for restaurants in respect to certain items that impart flavor to food during the cooking process.
Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.