News for Economics
Initiative 976 cuts transportation dollars across the state
AGC is opposing Initiative 976, popularly known as Tim Eyman’s $30 car tabs initiative. Among AGC’s many concerns about the measure is its elimination of Transportation Benefit Districts, mechanisms that local governments use to fund road projects.
Posted on: 09/20/2019
WSDOT: State transportation system “on a glidepath to failure”
At a Sept. 19 meeting of the Joint Transportation Committee, WSDOT Deputy Secretary Keith Metcalf told legislators, “Our state transportation system is on a glidepath to failure."
Posted on: 09/20/2019
Public Works Board approves $85M in infrastructure loans
From a domestic water project in Spokane to a sewer project in Westport, the Washington State Public Works Board has awarded over $85 million in loans for pre-construction and construction activities for thirty projects across the state.
Posted on: 08/07/2019
New Buy American Act executive order ups the ante on domestic preferences
As anticipated, the Trump Administration has continued to build on its emphasis for domestic preference requirements on projects that are subject to the Buy American Act
Posted on: 07/25/2019
U.S. House panel approves multiemployer pension reforms
AGC of America reports that last week the House Committee on Education and Labor approved the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act (more commonly known as the Butch Lewis Act) which provides low-interest loans to troubled plans to allow them to pay benefits.
Posted on: 06/18/2019
Recap of $1B+ in new taxes passed by the Legislature
During this year’s legislative session, the Washington State Legislature passed several tax bills that will increase total revenues by $1.1 billion.
Posted on: 06/18/2019
L&I announces new draft overtime rule with salary threshold of $80K
L&I formally announced a new draft overtime rule that would raise the threshold for overtime-exempt employees to nearly $80,000 by 2026. If the rule is adopted, employers will need to pay salaried employees at least that amount or convert them to hourly workers, in essence creating a new super minimum wage.
Posted on: 06/18/2019
Operating budget: New taxes, big spending
A billion dollars in new taxes and an 18 percent increase in spending are highlights of the state biennial budget passed by the Legislature Sunday night, just 15 minutes before a midnight deadline to adjourn.
Posted on: 04/30/2019
Proposed state budgets feature capital gains, B&O and REET taxes
Democratic leaders in the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives have proposed differing biennial budgets for 2019-2021, but they do have two things in common: They are both way bigger than the previous state budget, and they both feature tax increases.
Posted on: 04/09/2019
Proposed state budget includes capital gains, B&O and REET tax increases
House Democrats unveiled a two-year state budget proposal that seeks $1.4B in new revenue, including a new 9.9% capital gains tax, a 20% (and up) B&O tax increase for many businesses, and an increase in the real estate excise tax (REET).
Posted on: 03/26/2019
Ill-conceived contractor-liability bill dies in Legislature
The number of anti-business bills introduced in Olympia this year has been unprecedented. But thanks to a worthy effort from AGC and its members, general contractors and subcontractors alike will not be as easy targets in years to come for double-payment liability on private projects.
Posted on: 03/26/2019
Action needed now on SHB 1395
Substitute House Bill 1395 was added to the floor calendar on March 5 and will likely be heard very soon.
Posted on: 03/06/2019
AGC seeks changes to burdensome overtime draft rule
The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is changing employment rules that determine which salaried employees in Washington are required by law to receive overtime pay, minimum wage and paid sick leave.
Posted on: 12/18/2018
L&I hosts webinars on Equal-Pay Opportunity Act
On June 7, 2018, the Equal-Pay Opportunity Act (EPOA) went into effect, making updates to the Washngton State Equal Pay Act of 1943.
Posted on: 12/04/2018
Workers’ comp rates will fall by average of five percent in January
The price of workers’ compensation insurance in Washington will take the largest drop in more than 10 years on January 1, as the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) finalized its proposed 5 percent decrease in the average amount employers pay for the coverage.
Posted on: 12/04/2018
Don’t be caught unaware! Plan NOW for family leave premium collections to begin Jan. 1
On Jan. 1, 2019, employers need to begin collecting paid family and medical leave premiums; budget for the employer share of the premium; and begin tracking hours and wages of all employees, including seasonal, temporary and part-time workers.
Posted on: 11/19/2018
Is your employee Washington-based, for minimum-wage and sick-leave purposes?
One of the lingering questions regarding the state’s new minimum wage and paid sick leave law, which went into effect Jan. 1 2018, is how “Washington-based employees” will be defined.
Posted on: 11/06/2018
Are you and your employees ready for new family taxes in 2019?
With the passage last year of a paid family- and medical-leave program for Washington State, new taxes will be collected on BOTH employers and employees starting Jan. 1, 2019.
Posted on: 09/20/2018
L&I working on new overtime rules; comments welcome
The Department of Labor and Industries has announced its intention to conduct rulemaking on the executive, administrative, professional (EAP), and outside sales person exemption to Minimum Wage Act rules under WAC 296-128.
Posted on: 08/13/2018
AGC protests Seattle’s head tax proposal
Telling the Seattle City Council and Mayor Jenny Durkan that hurting construction jobs is not the way to combat homelessness, AGC is strongly opposed to the city’s proposed $500 per employee “head tax” – a controversial measure that caused Amazon to pause its ongoing construction in Seattle.
Posted on: 05/08/2018
Heads up: New paid family/medical leave taxes begin Jan. 1, 2019
Taxes to fund the paid family- and medical-leave program passed by the Legislature last year will be collected starting Jan. 1, 2019 -- but the benefits won’t be available to be taken until Jan. 1, 2020.
Posted on: 04/23/2018
Comments to share about the steel, aluminum tariffs?
On March 19, the Department of Commerce published its exclusion process procedures (interim final rule) for steel and aluminum tariffs...
Posted on: 03/28/2018
AGC of America opposes tariffs, offers recommendations for contractors
On March 8, President Trump signed proclamations to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports, with limited exceptions.
Posted on: 03/13/2018
Capital Budget and “Hirst fix” pass Legislature
AGC applauds passage of the long-delayed 2017-2019 State Capital Budget as well as passage of the water-rights “Hirst fix.”
Posted on: 01/30/2018
New in 2018: Pay-per-mile pilot study
After several years of study, the Washington State Transportation Commission will test a pay-per-mile tax system called a road usage charge beginning in early 2018. A road usage charge asks drivers to pay for the miles they drive in Washington, rather than by the gallons of gas they use.