AWB & Washington Roundtable Launch JobMakers.com for 2005; Web Site Tracks Legislation that...

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Association of Washington Business and Washington Roundtable have launched JobMakers.com for 2005. In its third year, the site analyzes legislation under review by the Washington State Legislature that, if passed, will impact private sector job creation in Washington. The

"The recession may be over, but the recovery has been agonizingly slow and people are just now going back to work. We can't get complacent. Lawmakers must make every effort to encourage job creation. JobMakers.com draws attention to those efforts," said Steve Mullin, president, Washington Roundtable. "Making progress on and protecting business climate improvements -- such as the 2003 unemployment insurance reforms -- are critical to making this recovery a long-term reality."

"The message the Legislature sends to employers this year will have an incredible impact on the length and scope of our state's economic recovery. Washington needs jobs. When employers decide where to create those jobs, costs matter -- from taxes to unemployment insurance, workers compensation and regulatory costs. How the state manages those costs will determine whether or not jobs come here," said Don Brunell, president, Association of Washington Business.

JobMakers.com analyzes bills in seven competitiveness categories: budget and taxes, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, health care, regulations, infrastructure (water, energy and transportation), and education and workforce.

Bills are selected and posted on the site based on specific criteria. A JobMaker bill:

--reduces the overall costs government imposes on business

--makes the business tax burden more competitive with other states;

--reduces the cost or time associated with complying with state regulations while maintaining environmental protections;

--makes strategic investments in basic infrastructure;

--accelerates or facilitates education, training, or investment in high demand fields; or

--creates clear incentives for employers to invest in Washington.

By contrast, a JobKiller bill conflicts with one or more of those criteria.

The first round of analysis highlights six bills.

JobMaker bills include:

--HB 1276 - Requiring the governor's signature on significant legislative rules (sponsor: Rep. Bill Grant).

--HB 1625 - Modifying employer disclosure of employee information (sponsor: Rep. Judy Clibborn).

JobKiller bills include:

--HB 1028 (prime sponsor: Rep. Steve Conway) / SB 5097 (prime sponsor: Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles) - Providing for apprenticeship utilization requirements on public works projects.

--HB 1154 (prime sponsor: Rep. Shay Schual Burke) / SB 5450 (prime sponsor: Sen. Pat Thibaudeau) - Requiring that insurance coverage for mental health services be at parity with medical and surgical services.

The site also scores lawmakers based on sponsorship and voting records. After the first round of analysis, 23 House members have the highest JobMaker scores (+20 points), while eight have JobKiller scores. In the Senate, 20 members are tied for the lead a +5 JobMaker score, while three have JobKiller scores.

JobMakers.com will be updated throughout the legislative session. More information regarding the scoring process and issues is available at www.JobMakers.com.

About JobMakers.com

JobMakers.com is an informational web site that examines bills under consideration by the Washington State Legislature that will impact private sector job creation. The web site is sponsored by the Association of Washington Business and the Washington Roundtable.