Call House members to oppose furlough bill; register now for Feb. 15 rally; Local 491 members turn out to save Rainier School

As we told you last time, the furlough bill (SSB 6503) passed the Senate Friday and comes up for a House hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 3:30 p.m., in the House Ways and Means Committee, Hearing Room A in the John L. O'Brien Building on the Capitol campus. It's scheduled for a committee vote Wednesday.

SSB 6503 is still a bad bill that does not save jobs. It may be sold to you as saving jobs, but in fact any of the questionable savings would be diverted to other areas of the budget.

So, call 1-800-562-6000 and urge your two House members to vote NO! on SSB 6503. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.

• Email your representatives and senator here.

REGISTER NOW FOR FEB. 15 RALLY

In just two weeks, the legislative session has turned brutal against state employees. The passage of the furlough bill is the latest example.

The problem is we need new revenue and closing or suspending some of the $14.8 billion in easily accessible tax loopholes.

You can help bring that message directly to legislators in a big way. Mark your calendars for the Public Employee/Revenue Rally and Lobby Day on the Presidents' Day Holiday, Monday, Feb. 15. The rally will be at noon on the Capitol steps. But you can get a pre-rally briefing, lunch and lobbying appointments.

• Register here now.

LOCAL 491 MEMBERS TURN OUT IN RAIN AND COLD TO TURN UP THE HEAT ON SAVING RAINIER SCHOOL

Dozens of Local 491 members braved the rain, wind and cold Sunday to turn up the heat to save Rainier School.

They set up a peaceful picket line along the heavily traveled Highway 410 in Buckley.

In a show of solidarity were members from the Department of Transportation, Western State Hospital, Yakima Valley School, among others.

Rainier is one of the residential habilitation centers slated for closure. Members at Frances Haddon Morgan Center are planning a similar rally. Details to come.

ALSO THIS WEEK:

• The bill restricting bonuses and other special pay for WMS and EMS employees gets a hearing today in the House Ways and Means Committee.

• The Federation-initiated bill to give DSHS interpreters collective bargaining rights (HB 3062) comes before the House Commerce and Labor Committee Tuesday.

• The proposed cuts to the successful Program for Adaptive Living Skills (PALS) at Western State Hospital comes up for a work session Tuesday in the House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.
  

• Also up this week are important hearings on: generating revenue through sales of surplus fish in our state hatcheries; the Department of Commerce; Information Services; gang violence; new revenue for state Parks via proceeds from Keno; and we may see a committee vote on the problematic parks host bill.

CAPITOL NUGGETS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Nugget No. 1: Your calls on several bills are critical this week because the first major deadlines for bills to clear committees come up next week. House bills need to pass House committees by Tuesday, Feb. 2. Senate bills need to clear Senate committees by Feb. 5.

Nugget No. 2: For our members in the DSHS Division of Child Support, the bill that would change the calculation of child support came up for what amounted to a courtesy hearing Friday. Local 443 member Katie Nelson presented written testimony to the committee. But time ran out and she was not allowed to testify. It's a moot point: The committee's chair, Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-24th Dist., said the bill, SB 6399 is not moving this session.