History

The Roundtable has been a long-time advocate for policies that encourage job creation and promote state competitiveness. The Roundtable pays specific attention to state fiscal policy and advocates for transparent, priorities-based budgeting, competitive business costs, sufficient reserves and investment in priority services – namely education and infrastructure – that will drive long-term prosperity.

2010 Priority: Demonstrate fiscal restraint and deliver a balanced, sustainable budget.

Lawmakers balanced a $2.8 billion supplemental budget shortfall with a mixture of cuts, federal aid and $800 million in new taxes. The legislature faced difficult choices and decisions to discard problematic budget proposals – such as taxing investments of non-financial firms or doubling or even tripling the hazard substance tax – should be considered small wins. Nonetheless, additional spending reducations will be needed this biennium and fundamental reform is essential in order to create a sustainable budget.  Washington must clarify its priorities and reset spending to meet the realities of the post-recession economy and enable recovery.

2010 Priority: Reduce business costs.

Lawmakers were presented with a variety of proposals this year that would have made it more difficult for employers to create jobs in Washington state.  The legislature’s decision not to enact broad expansions of unemployment insurance benefits was prudent.  Such proposals would have reduced an already precariously low unemployment insurance trust fund balance and led to larger rate hikes, and fewer jobs, in 2011.

Lawmakers missed a major opportunity by not enacting workers’ compensation reform.  The business community’s proposal included common sense reforms that would have lowered costs without impacting benefits for injured workers.  The bill did not get a hearing and a double-digit increase in workers’ compensation costs is all but inevitable. 

Workers’ compensation reform is sorely needed.  Allowing private companies to enter the workers’ compensation insurance market – and thereby ending the government monopoly in Washington state – is a step in the right direction.  For this reason, the Roundtable supports Initiative 1082.

Supporting Efforts & Resources:

• No State Income Tax: Defeat 1098:
  The Roundtable opposes Initiative 1098, which implements a steeply progressive income tax, because it will dry up investment capital, hurt young companies and stifle job creation.
  
• WashACE:
  A coalition of business associations and chambers of commerce, promoting public policies that retain and create jobs and increase economic opportunity.
• Washington Research Council:
  Examines how public policy issues affect business, government and the community. Research is based on facts from reliable data sources and informed by economic analysis with an appreciation of the power of free markets.