Doing Business in Washington

Senate Democrats have joined forces with our business and technology partners to train the workers of tomorrow. Meeting face to face with biotech representatives and chambers from across the state, we see firsthand the policies that can help business now. Our actions demonstrate our commitment to creating an environment where entrepreneurs thrive by expanding our small business programs, providing B&O tax credits for family-wage job creation, and eliminating unnecessary paperwork.

2009 Accomplishments

Bills passed by the Senate and sent to the House or signed into law:

B & O Tax credit

The Senate passed a bill that protects valuable jobs by allowing businesses with 10 or fewer workers to subtract $2,000 to $4,000 from their state business taxes for every new job they create. (Sen. Kilmer, Senate Bill 5899, Passed Senate.)

Economic Development

Community Revitalization Financing (CRF) is an investment in public infrastructure that promotes community and economic development, helps create jobs, redevelops brown-fields and blighted areas, lowers housing costs, promotes efficient land use, and generates state revenue. (Sen. Kilmer, Senate Bill 5045, Signed by Gov.)

Promoting Technology

Promotes innovation and the commercialization of technologies by authorizing the Washington Technology Center to accept gifts, grants, donations, sponsorships or contributions from any federal, state, or local government agency or program or any private source and expend the same for activities consistent with its duties and purpose. (Sen. Kilmer, Senate Bill 5553, Passed Senate.)

Broadband

Expands broadband access to underserved residents. Community technology programs will provide training, assistance in use of information and communication technologies among lowincome and underserved residents, and other information technology-related services. (Sen. Kohl-Welles, Senate Bill 5916, Passed Senate.)

Business Paperwork

Waives penalties for first-time paperwork violations by small business. (Sen. Kilmer, SB 5042. Signed by Gov.)

Tax Structure Efficiency

This bill conforms excise tax statutes to the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement in regard to direct sellers, telecommunications ancillary services, commercial parking taxes and exemption certificates. (Sen. Regala, Senate Bill 5566, Signed by Gov.)

Unemployment Insurance

Modifies unemployment insurance provisions so that unemployment insurance benefits are charged back to employers in the same amount that benefits are paid out. (Sen. Kohl-Welles, Senate Bill 5963, Signed by Gov.)

2008 Accomplishments

• STARS: Senate Democrats budgeted an additional $265,000 to fund the STARS program to recruit world-class researchers to teach at Washington State University campuses. (2008 budget)

• Community Economic Revitalization Board: Senate Democrats passed legislation to ensure that state infrastructure investments promote job growth and retention and create family wage jobs. (Sen. Kilmer, SB 6855)

• Industry skills panels: Senate Democrats passed legislation to direct the allocation of grants on a competitive basis to establish and support Industry Skill Panels where they can be most effective. (Sen. Kilmer, SB 5254)

• Rural economic development: Rural counties receive funding to help overcome the special challenges they face in economic development programs, but the designation of a “rural county” has been based on population density — a measure that didn’t accurately reflect the nature of Island County. Senate Democrats passed a bill to add a county’s square mileage as a defining factor in qualifying it for rural economic development funding. (Sen. Haugen, SB 6195)

• Small manufacturer innovation: Senate Democrats created the Washington Manufacturing Innovation and Modernization Extension Service program so that small manufacturers, industry associations and cluster associations may receive vouchers of up to $200,000 per year to cover the costs of manufacturing extension services that modernize their operations. (Sen. Kastama, SB 6510)

2007 Accomplishments

• Economic Development Commission (EDC): The EDC was created to provide a uniform economic strategy for the entire state, including the establishment of performance measures and analysis of existing economic development programs for efficiency. (Sen. Kastama, SB 5995)

• Micro-enterprise development: We are creating one of the best micro-enterprise programs in the nation to provide organizational support to a statewide micro-enterprise association and contract with it for the delivery of capacity building services to micro-enterprise development organizations as well as grants for technical assistance and training to micro entrepreneurs. (Sen. Kauffman, SB 5652 and SB 5653, Sen. Kilmer SB 5613)