HEALTH CARE AND INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE RATES IMPROVE THE STATE’S GENERAL BUSINESS CLIMATE

AT ISSUE
The Legislature needs to work together with business leaders and other public officials to improve the State’s business climate. According to the 2006 Competitiveness Guidebook by the Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy, our state’s business costs are the 8th highest nationally. We lead the country in unemployment insurance taxes, rank 11th in weekly unemployment insurance benefit payments, and 9th in length of time benefits are collected. Our minimum wage tops the nation again this year.

TRI CITY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL POSITION
Support legislation to:
• Maintain and extend proven business and economic development tax incentives
• Restore common sense, fairness, predictability, and efficiency to the legal system
• Reduce regulatory burdens facing employers and consolidate state agency rules
• Remove annual minimum wage indexing; freeze the State minimum wage until it matches the Federal minimum
• Support counties in local comprehensive planning; mitigate GMA revenue impact
• Return State child labor law standards to Federal standards.
• Invest in university research that supports business innovation and growth.
• Increase funding for the Job Skills Program to $6 million per biennium based upon a successful track record of helping employers
• Add permanent funding for the CERB program through a dedicated funding source in order to support the growth of our businesses
• Oppose legislation that mandates paid leave or healthcare coverage.

BACKGROUND
Business competitiveness in the Tri-Cities depends to a large extent on the State’s overall business climate and competitiveness nationally. A wide array of issues decided in Olympia determines how well the economy will fare in Tri-City communities. Unfortunately for us, the State of Washington ranks in the
lower half of all states for healthy business climate. The 2006 Competitiveness Guidebook, published by WashACE, has been providing an objective set of benchmarks to evaluate our business climate for five years. We suggest legislators review this year’s updated edition when considering competitiveness issues this session.  The TCLC believes that legislation and public policy should promote a healthy, free-market and nationally and globally competitive business climate. The private sector should be allowed to prosper and expand without interference from the public sector. If the business community is harmed, the State should provide consistent and appropriate mitigation.

For more information, contact the Tri Cities Chamber of Commerce.