State director Patrick Connor reports from Olympia during the legislative week ending on March 28
Last Friday, March 21, the Democrats of the Chamber and the Senate published their respective income packages to finance their 2025-27 operating budget plans. Small businesses have been largely spared from these tax proposals.
Use these links to read the Home And Senate Presentation of the tax plan.
The two income packages included Increase in property tax Proposals, although in slightly different forms. Both included a new Tax on intangible financial goods (Wealth tax). The Democrats of the Chamber offer a 1% Overload of b & o On companies with at least $ 250 million in annual gross revenue, plus an increase in existing overload on financial institutions with an annual net turnover of $ 1 billion or more than 1.2% to 1.9%. The Democrats of the Senate offered a Jumpstart style of Seattle business tax With high salary employees instead of an increase in B&O. Under this proposal, employers with more than $ 7 million in annual salary would pay a 5% tax on the salaries of employees earning more than $ 174,100 (the current social security ceiling).
Nfib is opposed to the two property tax invoicesHB 2049 and SB 5798.
During meetings of the Senate income management, we stressed that commercial and industrial properties tend to have values evaluated higher than residential, therefore pay a disproportionate part of land taxes. We have also suggested that any increase in the local option of the local option is subject to the approval of voters.
THE Senate ways and means The Committee will hold a public hearing on tax invoices Monday March 31 at 4 p.m. Use this link To access details of the invoice and to register to testify or add your position to the recording.
THE Home financing The committee will hold its public audience at 8 a.m. Thursday, April 3. Invoice information and links to testify are available here.
Transport chairs have also published financing proposals; Both will understand Fuel tax increases that NFIB is opposed.
Review week
This week, NFIB testified on priority bills heard by the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee and the Senatorial Health and Long -Term Care Committee.
HB 1213, PFML labor protection requirements
As we have previously reported, the bill would require protection and pursuit of health insurance services for all employees, regardless of the size of the employer. It would also allow permission to take four -hour increments rather than eight. The bill continues to move forward despite the price of $ 1 billion over six years. If Enacted, The Existing 1.2% Statracy Payroll-Tax Cap Will Be Hit in 2027, Forcing the Legislature to Increase or Remove the Cap, or Bail Out the Program With A State General Fund Transfer as Happened in 2022. In Apparent Recognition of That, On Friday, March 28, The House Labor & Standard Work Committee Pass An fine version of SB 5292 It would change the Rate adjustment process for the paid family and medical holiday program. This bill was largely unacittered and under the radar. But the household president of the house, Liz Berry, added an amendment which will increase the tax rate by two tenths of 1 percent every two years, which makes the ceiling: 1.4% for 2027-28, 1.6% for 2029-30, 1.8% for 2031-32 and 2.0% for 2033 and beyond. This change will issue Nfib and the rest of the business world to oppose two bills. HB 1213 advanced the senatorial labor committee this morning after the president of President Rebecca Saldaña has stripped subsidies to small businesses to help maintain health insurance coverage of the bill. He should go to the Senate Ways & Means committee for more new measures. Meanwhile, the modified SB 5292 was sent to the Room Rules Committee after having successfully completed the work of the House.
HB 1308, staff files
NFIB again asked that the bill will be modified to authorize an administrative appeal to workers unable to obtain a copy of their employer personnel files within 21 days authorized under the bill. As currently written, the bill allows workers to continue their employer if the deadline is missed. Senator Curtis King offered an amendment providing an administrative appeal during the executive session on Friday morning (March 28), but it was rejected by the Democratic majority. NFIB will continue to put pressure for this change as the bill progresses. Without the amendment, NFIB opposes the bill.
HB 1430, paying afterwards and not the same rate as doctors
The NFIB is opposed to this bill and has declared that the obligation of health insurers to pay nurses and medical assistants approved to the prior practice of the same rate that doctors will add pressure to increase health insurance rates. We have argued that if the bill is too expensive to apply for the health plans of workers and teachers, who are exempt from the bill, it should not be applied to the (private) commercial market. We also stressed that the bill does not really respect its own intention section, which aims to extend access to care in rural areas. There is no requirement in the legislation to pay the APRN or the AP more only in rural areas or other poorly served areas. Nevertheless, the bill was approved by the senatorial health care committee on Thursday, March 27.
HB 1589, forcing health insurers to negotiate with certain providers
Health insurers of this state are authorized to offer contracts to take away or to leave themselves to certain types of clinics and providers, in particular chiropractic and therapeutic professionals (physical, massage, speech, professional and other types of therapists, for example). In most cases, the payment rate has not changed for many years. For some suppliers, there was no increase in decades. NFIB testified in support of the bill, because it does not include a specific increase for any supplier, but would allow small practices to negotiate their prices. Health plans generally limit the number of visits to these providers during a plan year, minimizing the potential of a significant increase in costs for insurers or insurers. The executive measures were provided but not taken at the meeting of the committee of March 27, so the bill should not progress this year.
Two other interest projects have received public audiences this week. Nfib sign-in supporting both.
HB 1483, right of repair
More than 900 people have registered or testified to be supported during the audience of the Senate Energy, Environment and Technology Committee. There was just an opposite individual. Two minor modifications should be added to the bill during the executive session on Tuesday, April 1. Both are additional exemptions: medical and planeic devices. Since neither of them really falls into the category of digital electronic devices intended for personal or domestic use, or would be brought to a repair workshop or repaired by the consumer, there should be no objection to amendments. NFIB supports the bill.
SB 5408, correction of wage and wage disclosure
As discussed last week, hundreds of Greenmail prosecutions were filed against Washington employers for errors in salary descriptions and services in employment assignments. Many (most?) Are the result of third -party online job recruitment portals that collect publications from employer’s websites, and then provide complete information during republication elsewhere. This bill as it is written would give employers 14 days to correct the defective job lists once the complaint was received. The law firm in Seattle responsible for these abusive prosecution has joined state groups and national women to oppose the bill. Consequently, the president of the room of the room, the representative Liz Berry, forced himself by a striking amendment during the executive session. The bill now outside its committee, NFIB and other members of the business world will endeavor to restore the original language as the bill progresses.
The hearings on the marathon budget were also held this week by chamber credits and the committees of the Ways & Means Senate. The Senate will be in session tomorrow, Saturday March 29, working to approve its budget bill. The House debates its budgetary plan on Monday, March 31.
The coming week
Political committees will continue to hold executive sessions next week, working to approve bills before the deadline on Wednesday. The tax committees will have a mixture of public hearings and executive sessions. The budget cut is Tuesday, April 8.
Nfib must not testify next week. We will continue to meet legislators and coalition partners concerning priority bills affecting our members.
Previous legislative reports
– March 22: Nfib testifies on two big wc, UI Bills
– March 15: The fact that the original deadline passes, sending many invoices in an early tomb
– March 8: The bill giving user interface services on strike adopts the Senate
– February 28: Legislators are trying to bypass the federal law on unemployment benefits
– February 21: Minimum wage bills died for the moment
– February 15: The members of the NFIB present themselves in force to oppose a minimum wage bill
– February 8: Minimum wage bills arrive for the first hearings
– January 31: Entrepreneurs have called to testify about upcoming legislation by registering
– January 25: Nfib testifies against unemployment benefits of strike workers
– January 18: Washington’s state legislature begins 2025 session