Elizabeth New (Hovde) believes the unemployment insurance fund is a safety net financed by employers and meant for workers who lose work through no fault of their own; It should not be paying workers who choose not to work. Unions can do that.
Elizabeth New (Hovde)
Washington Policy Center
Gov. Bob Ferguson still has a chance to veto some very bad bills. Read more about three of them I followed this session.
— Senate Bill 5083 will increase health insurance costs for most people and could limit access to services for all Washingtonians by placing price caps on services provided to people who the state insures.
As Chelene Whiteaker with the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) testified in February, hospitals in the state are experiencing continuously negative operating margins of -1.3% in aggregate. “When overall costs exceed payment, hospitals have two choices: Seek higher payment rates from commercial insurers — the only payment rate that is really negotiable — or cut services,” she said.
Rather than seeking cost containment and affordability for all, lawmakers advanced a bill picking winners and losers. Read more here.
— House Bill 1296 is the much-debated bill that eliminates parent notification of medical ongoings a school knows about, offers or arranges for a child. The right for parents to be notified was established by Initiative 2081 just last year.
Keeping parents out of the loop is harmful for child health outcomes. Schools also should not be accomplices to children making life-altering medical decisions on their own. Watch debate on the bill here, and read my blog, “Parents told to have a seat; government knows best” here.
— Senate Bill 5041 allows striking workers to collect unemployment insurance benefits funded by the very employers they’re striking against. Seriously.
The unemployment insurance fund could be harmed. The fund is a safety net financed by employers and meant for workers who lose work through no fault of their own. It should not be paying workers who choose not to work. Unions can do that.
See Washington Policy Center’s concerns about how SB 5041 could harm workers, consumers, businesses and taxpayers on our blog.
My session recap is here with some other bills that are going to become law.
Elizabeth New (Hovde) is a policy analyst and the director of the Centers for Health Care and Worker Rights at the Washington Policy Center. She is a Clark County resident.
Also read:
- Opinion: Transit agencies need accountability not increased state subsidy
Charles Prestrud argues that Washington transit agencies face rising costs and declining ridership due to governance structures that lack public accountability. - Letter: ‘For years, American foreign policy too often felt like a blank check’
Vancouver resident Peter Bracchi argues that the 2025 National Security Strategy marks a long-overdue shift toward clearer priorities, shared responsibility, and interest-based American leadership. - POLL: Are you better off than you were a year ago?
This week’s poll asks readers to reflect on their personal financial situation and whether they feel better off than they were a year ago as economic conditions continue to shift. - Opinion: Does tailgating cause speeding?
Target Zero Manager Doug Dahl examines whether tailgating contributes to speeding and explains why following too closely increases crash risk with little benefit. - Opinion: ‘The Democrats’ part of the bargain’
Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance reflects on a New Year’s Eve encounter and a Bill Maher commentary to assess what he sees as cultural and political changes from the past year.
