Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, said House Bill 1788 was the only bill that made it out of committee after Republicans proposed bills about law enforcement.
According to the news release, HB 1788 was part of Republicans Safe Washington Plan, which is a set of bills focused on stopping crime, supporting law enforcement and putting victims first. Of five proposed bills, one made it out of committee.
MacEwen provided an update about the long-term care and payroll tax, citing a vote to delay the program for 18 months.
“As I mentioned in my last update, based on the 2020 actuarial analysis, the program will only be solvent until 2075,” MacEwen said in a news release. “And that 2075 projection was based on a higher payroll tax rate and the assumption that 105,000 employees would opt out of the program. Instead, 450,000 employees have opted out and are now paying for private plans they likely never wanted. Meanwhile, those who stayed in the state program get to enjoy an 18-month delay. That’s fundamentally unfair. The majority doesn’t seem to have answers for that, or for those who are wondering how they’re going to make this unpopular and inadequate program solvent in the next 18 months.”
MacEwen also addressed emergency powers reform, stating Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, proposed a bill that would limit the amount of time a governor can make emergency decisions without legislative oversight to 60 days at a time. The Democrats also have a proposed bill that doesn’t go as far as Corry’s, according to the news release.
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