State senators debate approved family leave bill

COLUMBIA BASIN - Sen. Jan/a Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, expressed criticism with a Senate family paid leave bill, while other senators stand behind it.

An amended version of Senate Bill 6280, which details the family leave bill's implementation, was approved by the Labor, Commerce, and Research and Development Committee Monday for consideration by another committee.

Holmquist, who serves on the committee, voted against it.

Senate Bill 5659 lets workers in Washington state receive up to five weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, with a maximum pay of $250 per week, according to Holmquist's office. A payroll tax on employees and details of how the program would be administered were removed from final legislation, according to her office.

Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, said the bill was already passed into law, and now being worked out are implementation issues. Keiser is prime sponsor of the legislation.

The bill would make benefits available by October 2009, she said.

While Holmquist expressed concerns with implementing the bill, Keiser supports the bill and said issues are being worked out as they arise.

At a public hearing for the bill Jan. 24, Holmquist asked an Employment Security Department spokesperson if undocumented workers could receive payments through the bill. Holmquist claims the spokesperson confirmed the bill would allow payments to be made from the general fund to non-citizens.

"I am disappointed that there is no mechanism to verify citizenship status," Holmquist stated. "I don't think the Legislature intended to write checks from our general fund to illegal immigrants. There needs to be a vote to clarify the Legislature's intent on this matter."

Holmquist also expressed concern with funding the program, and she found many groups during the public hearing shared similar concern.

According to estimates, start-up costs would run $16.6 million, administrative costs would run $20.8 million per biennium, and benefit costs would add to $92.2 million per biennium by 2015, the year the program reaches maturity, Holmquist stated.

"Even at the one-cent per hour payroll tax Democrats were recommending, that would leave a $19 million shortfall," Holmquist stated. "This program would start off in the hole and there are still other costs to be considered."

Holmquist found the bill is silent on the topic of sources for long-term dedicated funding. During the public hearing, the chair of the Labor, Commerce, and Research and Development Committee would not hear public testimony about financing issues, she claims. Instead, it was saved for a future date.

The amended implementation bill may address her concern that employers would be required to hire back temporary and seasonal workers for jobs no longer in existence, she stated.

"The seasonal worker issue appears to be addressed. Since we received the substitute bill just as we walked into committee, we didn't have an opportunity to read it," Holmquist stated. "This is just another example of how this expensive entitlement is being forced through the Legislature without adequate discussion of key issues. All aspects of this program need to be thought out before implementation."

Keiser supports bill

Contrary to Holmquist's claims, Keiser believes illegal immigrants would not be eligible to receive benefits through the program.

"To be eligible, you have to document at least 680 hours of employment at one employer," she noted.

Keiser said many illegal immigrants work for cash.

"If you're taking cash for hours worked, you cannot prove you've done a thing," she said.

Under the bill, virtually all illegal immigrants would be eliminated from eligibility, Keiser claims.

Keiser noted all babies born in the United States are citizens of the country, according to the constitution. The family leave program is beneficial not just to parents, but to babies as well, she said, noting bonding is essential between parents and their babies.

The committee worked on common-sense approaches to reducing the program's cost, Keiser noted. One of the recommendations states a parent should not have to file new paperwork for the benefits every week, cutting $150,000 from the cost of the program.

"The savings we're putting forward in our bill this year amount to $5.2 million in start-up (costs) and $1.7 million every year in ongoing operating costs," she said.

Keiser said all legislation isn't perfect and issues of the family leave bill are going to continue being worked out as they arise.