Vote for JBLM's I-5 Corridor Improvements

UPDATE:  July 2, 2013: Working for Completion 

The Transportation Package before the Washington State House contains $175 million for improvements along the JBLM I-5 Corridor.  JBLM is almost entirely dependent on I-5 for movements.

The State House Legislature is scheduled to re-vote on the Transportation Package immediately following a morning caucus. You are asked to immediately (using links in the article below) to email supporters with "thanks" and opponents with "vote yes".

(Click on Image for a Larger and Complete View)

Military Spouses Get Licensing Approval

The State Legislature did a great favor for the active-duty families in our state with the passage of SB5969, the military-spouse licensing bill.

Under terms of the bill, the state will allow military spouses a temporary professional license here, honoring the license originally issued in another state.  The temporary license will allow sufficient time for the spouse to complete any unique requirements necessary in Washington State.

Our Chamber testified in both the state Senate and House, both of which had significant bill sponsors.  Our thanks to Sen. Derek Kilmer and Representative Tami Green (companion HB2167) and all the co-sponsors in both houses. 

The Chamber had approved this goal for its 2012 Legislative Agenda, but this prompt action by our legislature gives us our first success early.  The Chamber’s membership had supported (83.7%) this goal in a survey completed last month.

The bill is now forwarded to Governor Chris Gregoire for signing. 

Our thanks also go to Mark San Souci, Regional Liaison Northwest, Defense State Liaison Office and the Chamber's State Lobbyist Michael Transue. 

Vet Bills in WA Legislature

Here is the current status, provided by the WA Dept. of Veterans Affairs, of veterans' bills in the 2011 Washington State Legislative Session.  You may go here to find copies of individual bills, current status and revisions, scheduled actions by committees, etc.

The yellow-backlight areas are of two companion bills relating to crediting applicable military training and experience for certain civilian professions.  Of special interest are health care professions which are laboring under a significant labor deficit for employers. Both these bills are covered by the Chamber's TEACH agenda for workforce development. 

The Chamber continues to testify before applicable Legislative Committee hearings and is active in the political session with the help of its lobbyist Michael Transue. You are encouraged to be involved!

Click on images for a larger view.

WA Bills to Help Vets Win Jobs

Military veterans who seek civilian employment will not have to repeat training in areas where they are already experienced, under legislation introduced this week by Rep. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island and Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor.

Senate Bill 5307/House Bill 1417 and SB 5308/HB 1418 would evaluate the training men and women have received and apply it to educational and licensing requirements in the private sector.

These bills give credit where it’s due. Many military personnel have undergone highly specialized training and education in certain areas, so we should honor that for licensing requirements. Duplicating efforts doesn’t benefit anyone, Rolfes said.

The bills provide similar benefits for different groups of professions:

• SB 5308/HB 1418 develops a process to evaluate training for educational credit or professional licensing requirements for cosmetologists, barbers, manicurists, engineers, land surveyors and security guards.
• SB 5307/HB 1417 does the same for health professions, including osteopathic physicians’ assistants, physicians’ assistants, radiologic technologists, nursing assistants, respiratory care practitioners, health case assistants and surgical technologists.

The men and women in our armed forces not only acquire valuable skills, they often perform their jobs under the intense life-and-death pressures of combat conditions, Kilmer said. It’s a poor use of their time and money to ask folks to get retrained for things they’ve already learned just so they can get a professional license and get to work in a civilian position. This state should be rewarding knowledge, not seat time.

The Chamber supports vets getting credit for training taxpayers have already paid for and the vets have gained experience. This is part of the Chamber's legislative TEACH agenda.  The bills also have the support of legislators from Pierce County, home of Joint Base Lewis-McChord and a large military population.

Helping Vet-Owned Business Restart After Deployments

For veteran-business owners, the Governor signed SB5041 on March 10. 

The bill, as passed: Mitigates economic damage to veteran-owned businesses as a result of military service.

Requires the department of veterans affairs to:
(1) Develop a procedure for certifying veteran-owned businesses and maintain a list of those businesses on the department's public web site;
(2) Adopt rules necessary to implement the act; and
(3) Collaborate with and assist agencies in implementing outreach to veteran-owned businesses.

Requires state agencies to:
(1) Perform outreach to veteran-owned businesses in collaboration with the department of veterans affairs to increase opportunities for veteran-owned businesses to sell goods and services to the state; and
(2) Work to match agency procurement records with the department's database of certified veteran-owned businesses to establish how many procurement contracts are being awarded to those businesses.

Encourages state agencies to award three percent of all procurement contracts that are exempt from certain competitive bidding requirements to veteran-owned businesses certified by the department of veteran affairs.

Requires the department of general administration to identify in its vendor registry all vendors that are veteran-owned businesses as certified by the department of veterans affairs.

The bill, originating with Sen. Derek Kilmer attracted considerable co-sponsors in the Senate and legislative support in the House.  The Chamber testified in both the State's Senate and House in favor of the bill as an advocacy outreach for the veteran-owned businesses of the state.

Advocacy for the VOB

The Chamber testified again today about SB 5041, a bill encouraging Washington state contracts with veteran-owned businesses.  The Chamber's Gary Brackett said that over 87,000 vets are in Pierce County and that 1 in 7 vets own their own business, which means over 12,000 vet-owned businesses are here.

The testimony, before the House State Government & Tribal Affairs Committee, was very positively received by its Chair Representative Sam Hunt who predicted easy committee passage on to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Concern was raised over the fiscal note attached to the bill, estimating an expense of $60,000, although today's posting set costs at $35,000.  The original sponsor, Sen. Derek Kilmer said he has been working with state agencies to reduce costs and John Lee, Director of Washington's Department of Veterans Affairs, said he carried a very sharp pencil as they supported the bill too. 

Ahead will be action by the House Ways and Means Committee to determine its inclusion in the state budget.

Stimulating National Defense

Fort Lewis, McChord AFB, the Army Reserve and Camp Murray all scored at least some monies in the Stimulus Bill. You can review all the states' projects, identified by project with details at this website.

The Defense Department received $7.4 billion under the law, with $5.9 billion going for construction and repair projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law last month.

DoD says it will continue to use this website to post future announcements.

State Almost Joining States Ed Compact

The Washington State Senate voted for the Interstate Compact for Military School Children, SB 5248, by 45-0-2. Joining the House 96-0 vote from last week! Due to slight differences in the House and Senate bills, a reconciliation is necessary. We are almost there in leveling the playing field for our military kids!

History of Bills as of Friday, March 6, 2009 5:14 AM

Sponsors:
Representatives Rolfes, Seaquist, Appleton, Green, McCoy, Conway, Darneille, Williams, Campbell, McCune, Simpson, Morrell

Companion Bill: SB 5248

2009 REGULAR SESSION

Jan 7 Prefiled for introduction.
Jan 12 First reading, referred to Education. (View Original Bill)
Jan 27 Public hearing in the House Committee on Education at 10:00 AM.
Feb 6 Executive action taken in the House Committee on Education at 8:00 AM.

ED - Executive action taken by committee.
ED - Majority; do pass.

Feb 11 Referred to Education Appropriations.
Feb 25 Public hearing in the House Committee on Education Appropriations at 8:00 AM.
Feb 26 Executive action taken by House Committee on Education Appropriations at 9:00 AM.

APPE - Executive action taken by committee.
APPE - Majority; do pass. Minority; do not pass.

Mar 2 Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 4 Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
Mar 5 Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 1; excused, 0. (View Roll Calls)
Go to history...
Available Documents
Original Bill
Bill Digest
House Bill Analysis 2009
House Bill Report

Fiscal Note (Available)Get Fiscal Note

Hopefully, the “budget dust” in the fiscal note will not be the excuse that prevents Washington State from joining the growing list of states approving the compact.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children is an agreement that standardizes how states deal with record transfers, enrollment, graduation requirements, extra curricular activities as well as a host of other related issues. Virginia, which has the country’s second-largest military population, is the 12th state to sign the bill. To learn more about this legislation and funding follow this link.