Summer winds down...

but task forces are hard at work

Students are back in school, and the days are growing shorter and cooler. Senate Democrats, who kept busy this spring and summer, will continue to work hard through the fall. We are committed to getting the next session, which convenes Jan. 14 and is scheduled to last only 60 days, off to a vigorous and productive start.

We are working in several groups to prepare legislation to help our children, families and workers.

Our education system is a dynamic and growing force. In the past decade, we have moved to an outcome-based system, where we expect our students to meet high standards and our teachers to be prepared to meet these challenges. What hasn’t changed is how we pay for this system. The Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force is reviewing the definition of “basic education,” looking at current funding formulas and developing options for new funding structures.

This past session, we passed the landmark family leave bill. Now Washington will be the second state to offer a program to help working families when they welcome a newborn or adopted child. Qualified employees will have five weeks of leave with up to $250 a week in benefits. The Joint Task Force on Family Leave is holding a series of meetings through the end of the year to determine how the program should be financed and which state agency should run it.

We know that a sizable percentage of construction is related in some way to the underground economy, that is, contractors who do not pay fair wages and do not cover their employees with industrial or unemployment insurance. This can lead to potentially unsafe working conditions, to underpayment — or no payment at all — and to no protection during periods of unemployment. The Joint Task Force on the Underground Economy is looking at this issue with an eye toward legislative remedies.

Even though the next legislative session is months away, Senate Democrats are active behind the scenes to make the most of the 60-day session next year.