Oct. 9, 2009

Dear friends and neighbors,

Earlier this week, I sent an e-newsletter discussing proposed changes to the state's building code and how that could hurt jobs. With more than 320,000 people out of work, we need to be seeking policies to create jobs in Washington, not destroy them. Unfortunately, the building code changes are part of a growing trend of costs and burdensome regulations the governor and her state agencies are seeking, which I believe could take this state in the opposite direction of economic recovery. This week's article addresses those concerns.

As always, I welcome your comments. Please click here to contact my office through our e-mail service.

It is an honor to serve you.

Sincerely,

Dan Kristiansen
State Representative
39th Legislative District

P.S. - When e-mailing me, please do not hit reply to this e-mail as I will not receive the response. Instead, I invite you to click here and e-mail me. Thank you!

More regulations not the way to provide
for jobs, economic recovery
By Rep. Dan Kristiansen

Recently, Washington's chief economist said the worst of the state's recession may be over. However, he noted "the recovery is still fragile, and fraught with risk." Days after his remarks, the latest unemployment figures were released showing more people unemployed in Washington than the previous month. As one columnist noted, "a jobless recovery is no recovery at all."

If we are truly to set Washington back on the road to a recovery with jobs, we need to change the way the state treats its employers. Yet even as nearly 320,000 people in Washington are unemployed and looking for work, some state leaders seem to be looking the other way as they add more job-killing regulations.

For example, the Department of Labor and Industries has proposed a 7.6 percent rate increase in employers' workers' compensation premiums.

A workers’ compensation premium increase would not only hurt employers – it would hurt workers. That’s because Washington is the only state in which workers pay a significant portion of premiums. This would add to the ongoing struggles of employers that are trying to keep their doors open and many families who are living paycheck to paycheck.

An employer's ability to save and create jobs rests on its labor costs. I'm concerned a combination of unemployment insurance premiums, business taxes and this proposed workers' compensation premium increase could be a crushing blow to many employers who are just barely surviving.

The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) is holding public hearings toward the end of this month, including in Bellingham: Oct. 29, 1 p.m., Bellingham Quality Inn, 100 E. Kellogg Road. In the meantime, my House Republican colleagues and I have drafted a letter to Gov. Gregoire, asking her to oppose the rate hikes.

I urge you to provide input, either at the public meetings (go here for more information) or by writing L&I. Written comments, accepted through Nov. 7, may be e-mailed to Ronald Moore, Employer Services Program Manager, or mailed to him at the Department of Labor & Industries, P.O. Box 44140, Olympia, WA 98504-4140. Faxed comments should go to 360-902-4729.

I'm also concerned about actions the governor is taking that could further hurt Washington's opportunity for a strong economic recovery. In May, she issued an executive order to implement cap-and-trade legislation (climate change) that failed to pass the Legislature during the 2009 session.

And although the Legislature approved Senate Bill 5854, which incrementally seeks to increase energy efficiency building codes with the goal of a 70 percent reduction in energy consumption by 2031, the governor has asked the Washington State Building Code Council to accelerate the timeline with a 30 percent reduction for buildings by July 2010. If the council adopts this accelerated timeline, it could add huge costs to the price of new homes, further damaging the slumping housing industry, hurting jobs, and putting affordability out of reach for many home buyers.

In March, the governor said she wanted her new commerce director to have "a laser focus on keeping the companies and jobs we have, and bringing new jobs and companies to our state." We need to keep that focus. I'm fighting against these new heavy-handed regulations and additional costs which jeopardize job growth during an already fragile period of economic recovery.

What can you do? Write or call the governor and voice your concerns:

Gov. Chris Gregoire
P.O. Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002
Phone: (360) 902-4111

Now is not the time to be adding new job-killing regulations. We need to get government off the backs of employers so they can do what they do best -- provide jobs.