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Your Hometown News Source
Expanding the power of decision
By Sen. Mark Schoesler
OLYMPIA–Senator Mark Schoesler is co-sponsor of bill SB 5039, to reform the emergency-powers law by making all proclamations subject to legislative approval after 30 days.
Governor Inslee have made two kinds of proclamations during this pandemic using powers granted by state law after a state of emergency has been declared. The bans on inside dining and other activities are done with proclamations which prohibit such; the other proclamations suspend certain laws such as renewal of driver’s licenses.
The suspension proclamations can’t last more than 30 days without legislative approval, but the prohibition proclamations can be open-ended, with on legislative review.
Employers take it in the shorts, no matter how its spread
OLYMPIA–Sen. Mark Schoesler is the prime sponsor of SB5197 to place a cap, so-to-speak, which would adjust the calculation used to determine Unemployment Insurance tax, creating stability for employers and cost of doing business. The governor has proposed spreading the bigger UI taxes out over a longer period, but would increase UI benefits with the tax hike and extend eligibility beyond layoffs to what are called “voluntary quits”.
Schoesler is also co-sponsoring SB5171 to pull $1 billion from the state’s rainy-day fund to help “backfill” the money that had to be paid out so unexpectedly which could make the difference between survival and failure for employers still hanging on. Track bills: washingtonvotes.org
State income tax
OLYMPIA–In the wake of Governor Inslee’s fast tracked state income tax Senate bill 5096, the Washington State Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown, a long-time supporter of a state tax, recently removed the statement “no personal or corporate income tax” on a marketing brochure encouraging people and businesses to come to Washington State.
RCPP adopt new rules
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash.–The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the final rule for its Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The rule updates USDA’s partner-driven program as directed by the 2018 Farm Bill and integrates feedback from agricultural producers and others.
RCPP promotes coordination of NRCS and partner conservation activities that aid farmers, ranchers, and private landowners in Washington with addressing on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns.
Final environmental assessment and decision released
PORTLAND, Ore.–The USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region (Deschutes, Fremont-Winema, Malheur, Ochoco, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests) has released a final environmental assessment and decision that amends forest plans on six national forests in eastern Oregon, revising a provision that prohibits harvesting trees larger than 21 inches in diameter.