Workers’ Comp Cut Draws No Objection

A three-minute public hearing before a nearly empty room Tuesday reflected the quiet support of Spokane employers for a proposed cut in Washington workers’ compensation rates.

Douglas Connell, program manager for the Washington Department of Labor & Industries, said the agency has received no opposition since it announced in August that it would cut premiums 10 percent beginning Jan. 1, 1995. The plan, which would be the first time in eight years that L&I cut rates, would save employers and employees an estimated $100 million a year for accident and medical insurance coverage.

A hearing held Monday in Seattle drew three participants; Tuesday’s hearing at the Sheraton Spokane Hotel drew two.

A final decision on the rate cut will be made Nov. 20 by director Mark Brown.

, DataTimes