Tag Archives: Sen. Mark Schoesler

Schoesler files bill to protect workers from new payroll tax

More than a month before the start of the 2022 legislative session, 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler has filed a bill that would look into private-market alternatives to the state’s new long-term care program, supported by an unpopular payroll tax set to go into effect Jan. 1.

Schoesler’s proposal, Senate Bill 5503, would authorize a joint legislative committee to study the financial products available through the private market to replace the long-term services and supports trust program.

“It’s easy to see why this new long-term care tax is so unpopular,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “First of all, many workers won’t be able to afford it – people earning an average wage will lose hundreds from their paychecks each year. Too many people would pay the tax yet never receive benefits. Some can’t take advantage of the one-time opt-out from the program this year. People who live in other states but work in Washington would have to pay this payroll tax without being eligible for benefits. Finally, this long-term care plan isn’t portable, so if you move out of Washington, you receive zero benefit, even if you’ve paid the tax for years and years. Talk about unfair!

“Who trusts state government – especially the state Employment Security Department – to manage a program like this effectively? It’s time for the Legislature to create a joint committee to examine private-market alternatives to this program and look for a better way to provide long-term care in Washington,” added Schoesler.

The WA Cares Fund, passed in 2019 by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, creates a 0.58% payroll deduction on employees, set to begin Jan. 1. If someone earns $50,000 a year, they will pay $290 a year for this tax until they quit, retire or leave the state. Starting in 2025, eligible beneficiaries could then start claiming up to a lifetime maximum of $36,500 to help pay for home care, meal delivery, assisted living or other needs.

As of Dec. 1, about 430,000 people had requested an exemption from both the new long-term care program, known as WA Cares Fund, and the payroll tax to fund it.

Schoesler’s bill will be assigned to a Senate committee when the Legislature convenes Jan. 10. His measure is one of several bills, already prefiled, that focus on the long-term care program and the payroll tax funding it.

The 2022 legislative session is scheduled to last 60 days.

Sen. Mark Schoesler

Schoesler says Washington drought emergency declaration “long overdue”

State Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, says he is relieved that Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration today finally announced a drought emergency declaration for eastern Washington as well as most of the west side of the state, but Schoesler pointed out the governor should have declared a drought emergency for eastern Washington several weeks ago.

“While the governor’s drought declaration is welcome and expected news, it is long overdue for our part of the state,” said Schoesler, a wheat farmer whose 9th Legislative District includes several counties that have faced drought conditions for months. “Farmers throughout eastern Washington have known since early this spring that we are facing a serious drought problem in our region, and the very hot and dry summer so far has just made it worse. It’s nice that the governor is finally recognizing how serious this problem really is for both sides of our state. But it’s disappointing and frustrating that it’s taken him this long to recognize and act on a problem that we’ve seen and endured in our region for months.”

According to a news release today by the state Department of Ecology, which issued the drought emergency declaration, a drought emergency means water supply is projected to be below 75 percent of average. A formal drought declaration authorizes DOE to take certain measures for the purpose of providing emergency drought relief:

  • Expedite processing for emergency drought permits.
  • Process temporary transfers of water rights.
  • Provide funding assistance for public entities.
  • Hold public education workshops.

“Several weeks ago, wheat officials wrote to the governor, asking him to declare a drought emergency for eastern Washington, but DOE responded by saying the state wouldn’t make a drought declaration. During the news conference today announcing the drought emergency declaration, the governor was asked why he previously rejected farmers’ requests for such a declaration. He said he needed to wait for scientific information on it to ‘mature.’ His response is ridiculous, because over in our part of the state, we’ve seen the effects of the drought for months. While I’m glad Jay Inslee is finally taking action on this drought, he should have acted much sooner.”

Inslee said the Everett, Seattle and Tacoma metro areas are excluded from the drought emergency declaration. The DOE news release said the three central Puget Sound cities “are expected to have sufficient water storage to meet residential and commercial needs through the summer, and to maintain adequate water levels in nearby rivers to protect fish.”

Schoesler bill would help stabilize UI rates for employers amid call for rate hike

Following yesterday’s announcement by the state Employment Security Department that it will raise both minimum and maximum weekly unemployment benefits for jobless workers, 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler pointed out that legislation he introduced would provide relief and help stabilize unemployment-insurance rates for Washington employers who pay UI taxes.

Schoesler’s proposal, Senate Bill 5197, would offer relief by adjusting the calculation used to determine UI taxes. Much like a tuition cap gives certainty to families and students about the costs of higher education, his bill would create a cap on the maximum UI wages subject to tax to provide welcome stability for employers when it comes to this particular cost of doing business. It was introduced during the 2021 legislative session and received a public hearing in the Senate Labor, Commerce and Tribal Affairs Committee but was not passed by the committee.

“Employers in Washington will be forced to pay more in unemployment-insurance taxes for reasons that aren’t their fault,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “My bill is eligible for consideration again during the next legislative session. It would at least provide some needed stability at a time when employers really need it.

“One of my concerns about ESD’s proposed increase in unemployment benefits is that it will cause jobless workers to have less incentive to search for a new job and rejoin the workforce. There are certain sectors of our economy, especially restaurants and retail, that really need more workers. We need to get our unemployed back to work, not make it easier for them to stay unemployed when more workers are needed,” added Schoesler, a member of the Labor, Commerce and Tribal Affairs Committee.

The Employment Security Department yesterday announced that Washington’s average annual wage grew by 10.1 percent in 2020 to $76,741. According to ESD, the average annual wage is used to calculate unemployment benefits for jobless workers and Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits. The minimum weekly unemployment benefit, calculated at 20 percent of the average weekly wage, will increase by $94 to $295, for new claims opened on or after July 4. At the same time, the maximum weekly benefit, which is the greater of $496 or 63 percent of the average weekly wage, will increase by $85 to $929.

Schoesler, who owns and operates a wheat farm near Ritzville, says the past 15 months have been especially difficult and unusual for most Washington employers.

“Soon after COVID-19 reached Washington, our state government forced many businesses to close, driving up the number of unemployment claims and draining the fund that pays those claims. Many businesses in our state are still struggling, and the last thing they need right now is a sharp increase in paying UI taxes. My bill would provide needed relief and stability.”

Schoesler joins in celebrating new water-delivery system near Warden

An event yesterday celebrating a new water-delivery system at the EL 47.5 pump station, located several miles from Warden, attracted several officials, including 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler.

“This new water-delivery system is a key part of ongoing efforts to provide needed irrigation water for agriculture without relying on the Odessa aquifer, which is dangerously low,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “I was pleased to join others in celebrating the new addition to this needed irrigation system for the region.

“As farmers in the Columbia Basin and elsewhere know, you can’t grow crops without water. The serious possibility of not having enough water to irrigate crops would not only be devastating for this part of the state, but it would cause a huge hit to Washington’s economy, which relies on agricultural exports.”

Schoesler was among several speakers at the event. Other speakers included Duaine Anderson, board president of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District; Mark Maynard, Ephrata field office manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Tom Tebb, director of the Columbia River for the state Department of Ecology; and Derek Sandison, director of the state Department of Agriculture.

The new two-year state capital budget recently approved by the Legislature includes $21 million in funding for the Odessa groundwater replacement program. This program will help provide irrigation water for the part of the Columbia Basin that has relied on the Odessa aquifer, which is being depleted slowly but surely.

According to the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, the new water-delivery system will reduce the depletion of the Odessa aquifer’s groundwater by up to 73 million gallons a day. Go here to learn more about the new 47.5 delivery system.

CAPTION: Sen. Mark Schoesler speaks during a windy ceremony celebrating a new water-delivery system at the EL 47.5 pump station near Warden.

Governor signs Schoesler bill offering property-tax relief for residents rebuilding homes ruined by wildfires

Gov. Jay Inslee has signed bipartisan legislation sponsored by 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler that will provide temporary property-tax relief for Malden-area residents and other Washingtonians who are rebuilding homes damaged or destroyed by wildfires last September.

Under Senate Bill 5454, Washington residents who lost a home to wildfire between Sept. 1 and Sept. 19, 2020, will be exempt from paying property taxes on the full value of the original structure for three years, if the home is being rebuilt or physically improved.

The Senate passed the measure 49-0 on March 9. The House approved it 97-1 on April 11.

Nearly 300 homes, including more than 120 residences in or near the Whitman County towns of Malden and Pine City, were destroyed by wildfires that burned different parts of Washington last September.

“I’m pleased this bill has been signed into law because it will help those people across the state who lost their homes in the terrible wildfires last Labor Day,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville, whose district includes Whitman County. “These homeowners lost practically everything, and families and individuals have struggled to recover. Some of them didn’t have homeowner insurance. This bill offers them some temporary tax relief to help ease their financial burden as they try to rebuild their homes and their lives.”

Schoesler thanked the bipartisan group of senators who co-sponsored the bill, including Sens. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick; David Frockt, D-Seattle; Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside; Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley; Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island; Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim; Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley; Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake; and Jeff Wilson, R-Longview.

According to a Spokane news report, 121 homes, eight commercial properties and 94 other structures were destroyed by the Labor Day wildfire in or near Malden and Pine City.

Statewide, 298 homes were lost in the September wildfires. In all, more than 700 structures were lost. More than 600,000 acres burned in Washington during the two weeks after Labor Day.

 

Senate approves ‘high-cost fuel standard’ bill

The Senate tonight narrowly passed a bill that would create a “high-cost fuel standard” in Washington.

 House Bill 1091, approved 27-20, returns to the House of Representatives for concurrence, or agreement, with a Senate amendment to the proposal.

“This bill is the latest attempt by Governor Inslee to cram what he calls a ‘low-carbon’ fuel standard down Washingtonians’ throats,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “There certainly is no guarantee this bill would improve the climate, but we can be guaranteed that fuel costs will skyrocket once this bill becomes law. Worse yet, it will act like a very expensive gas tax, but without any benefit to our roads.”

Schoesler said the Puget Sound Area Clean Air agency estimates costs of a similar localized LCFS program in 2019 would increase 57 cents per gallon for gasoline and rise 63 cents a gallon for diesel.

“Between the sharp increase in fuel prices caused by this bill and the ‘cap and tax’ bill that the Senate passed earlier tonight, it’s going to be a total shock for drivers when they fill up at the pump once these bills are implemented,” said Schoesler. “If you need to drive long distances for work or other reasons, this one-two punch courtesy of the Democrats is going to hit your wallet hard. This bill punishes people who can least afford it, and it will hurt agriculture in our state by imposing extra costs on farmers. This bill will put our economy at risk. People should think of Governor Inslee when they pay more at the pump because he’s the one who wanted it all along.”

The proposal would direct the Department of Ecology to adopt rules aimed at achieving a 20% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions from fuel by 2035.

Under HB 1091, refiners would be required to blend gas and diesel with advanced biofuels to reduce the carbon content of fuel. Only a 2-4%reduction in emissions can be accomplished this way, and this is only a small part of the program. Most of the program (80-90 percent) is about creating a “credit market” managed by Ecology, requiring refiners to pay for government-approved carbon-reduction programs. Costs likely would be passed on to consumers. At least half the money would go to programs to promote electric cars.

Governor signs Schoesler’s rural-ambulance bill into law

A bill prime-sponsored by Sen. Mark Schoesler making it easier for two tiny Whitman County towns to continue providing joint ambulance service was signed today by Gov. Jay Inslee.

A 2017 state law allows rural ambulance-service providers to overcome personnel shortages by allowing ambulance drivers who don’t have first aid or medical training. It inadvertently left out ambulance services shared by two or more municipalities.

“This bill will allow the continued operations of shared ambulance services so communities like Farmington and Garfield don’t have to turn to other providers farther away, simply because the driver of the ambulance isn’t trained in first aid,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville.

Schoesler’s proposal, Senate Bill 5198, permits ambulance services established by an association comprising two or more municipalities in a rural area to use a driver without any medical or first-aid training.

“This bill and the state law it updates both work because when an ambulance carries a patient to a hospital, the driver really doesn’t have a role in caring for the patient,” said Schoesler. “The EMTs in the back really are the persons in charge. The driver simply needs to be at least 18, pass a background check, and possess a valid driver’s license with no restrictions. This is a common-sense bill that uses the co-op principle to meet the needs of rural communities. Having it become law is a victory for Farmington and Garfield.”

Schoesler says agricultural groups oppose ‘cap-and-tax’ bill, contrary to claims by Democrat senator

No one should believe claims that the state’s agricultural industry backs a Democratic senator’s “cap-and-tax” bill, considering how disastrous the proposal would be to this key part of Washington’s economy, says 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler.

Schoesler cited a recent story in the Capital Press agriculture publication in which reporter Don Jenkins quoted officials with the Washington Farm Bureau, Northwest Agricultural Cooperative Council and Washington’s Cattlemen’s Association. All countered Sen. Reuven Carlyle’s recent claim that the state’s agricultural industry is an “enthusiastic supporter” of the cap-and-tax proposal, Senate Bill 5126.

“When you have officials from these important ag groups all saying this claim by Senator Carlyle is false, it really makes you shake your head,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville, who runs a wheat farm and is a fifth-generation farmer. “As someone who serves an agricultural district, I’ve been in touch with a wide section of people in this sector. At best, they are apprehensive about this proposal. At worst, they are flat-out against it. People need to remember that farmers and growers are price takers, not price setters. If this bill becomes law, it will drive up food prices, which is bad news for consumers, especially those on a small income.”

Senate Bill 5126 has been placed on the Senate’s voting calendar after being approved along party lines by the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, Senate Ways and Means Committee and Senate Rules Committee.

“When Senator Carlyle claimed in Ways and Means that his bill has support from agriculture, he followed it with a mention of reforestation. Trees are definitely an important rotational crop in Washington, but if the good senator from Seattle doesn’t know our agricultural sector is about much more than forestry, I’d encourage him to leave the city and pay a visit to the farms that grow our food and are so important to trade in our state,” Schoesler said.

“The fact that this bill never went to the Senate Transportation Committee, despite the enormous effect it could have on the cost of fuel, clearly indicates Democratic leaders don’t care much about the negative effect it will have on drivers, and on companies that rely on our roads to ship products and goods,” said Schoesler.

People who wish to comment to Democratic leaders on a particular bill can call the toll-free Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and share their thoughts.

The 2021 legislative session is scheduled to end April 25.