Governor Signs Parks Opt-Out, WMS Transparency Bills; Also Signs Child Welfare Privatization Bill

The governor in the past few days has signed key bills important to you:

• Federation Parks Statewide Local 1466 President Brian Yearout (second from left in photo above) was on hand May 15 when the governor signed SHB 2339, the parks opt-out funding bill. The bill adds $5 to the license tab renewal fee, unless drivers “opt out,” to keep state parks open. This cuts the number of job cuts in parks, but there will be some because the agency’s capital budget took almost a 50 percent hit.

• And Gov. Gregoire yesterday (May 18) signed ESHB 2049, the Federation-initiated bill bringing transparency to the Washington Management Service, which has mushroomed since it was created in 1993. ESHB 2049 requires the Director of the Department of Personnel to report to the governor and Legislature annually on the number of classified, Washington Management Service, and exempt employees; the number of bonuses and performance-based incentives awarded to agency staff; and the cost of each bonus or incentive awarded. It also makes it easier to appeal attempts to exempt vacant positions.

On hand for the signing of ESHB 2049 was Federation President Carol Dotlich who afterwards told a reporter: “There should be sunlight in the dark halls of management.”

• On the downside, the governor today (May 19) also signed into law the improved but still dangerously flawed 2SHB 2106, the bill privatizing about 30 percent of Child Welfare Services over the next few years. The new law sets up two demonstration sites where case management and other CWS functions will be contracted out. Gov. Gregoire did veto three sections of the bill: Section 1, the intent section, as implying a new entitlement; Section 14 on unfounded child abuse claims; and Section 19 on new forensic techniques because no funding was provided for it. We now work to mitigate the impacts of this unwise piece of legislation.

The governor on Monday also signed:

• ESHB 2245 to preserve state employee health insurance eligibility rights and maintains the standard that benefits must remain substantially equivalent to 1993 levels.

• And she signed three bills expanding domestic partner benefits: E2SSB 5688, further expanding the rights and responsibilities of state registered domestic partners; ESHB 1445 relating to domestic partners under the Washington State Patrol retirement system; and EHB 1616 relating to the state pension benefits of certain domestic partners. A big victory for civil rights and worker rights.

• The governor was also set May 19 to sign the “all-cuts” state operating budget, ESHB 1244.