Holmquist critical of family leave task force

Skeptical of Senate bill

MOSES LAKE - Sen. Jan/a Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, expressed criticism with the Paid Family Leave Task Force on which she currently serves.

Republican legislators released their task force minority report Jan. 17.

A 13-member task force was given the assignment of finding solutions for financing and administering a paid family leave bill.

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. The bill would make benefits available by October 2009. A payroll tax on employees and details of how the program would be administered were removed from the final legislation, according to her office.

The task force did not address many issues including the funding and administration issues, according to Holmquist.

"The (Senate Labor, Commerce, Research & Development Committee's) original cost estimates ran more than $100 million and added more than 100 full-time state employees," Holmquist stated. "The task force looked at ways the program could be financed, and after almost a year, there's still no long-term revenue plan in place."

She claims Senate Democrats expressed to The Seattle Times how they support a one-cent-per-hour payroll tax paid by employees.

"Ironically, the Democrat-proposed, one-cent-per-hour payroll tax will not come close to covering the exorbitant costs of the program and new bureaucracy," she stated.

Holmquist claims the paid family leave program is an entitlement program, rather than an insurance program. She stated lower-income families could end up paying taxes to support families that have larger incomes.

"How is it fair for the state to force a hardworking mom or dad working at the Columbia Basin Herald to pay more in payroll taxes so that another mom or dad can stay at home?" Holmquist asked. "If the Democrats must go forward with this hasty entitlement program, it will likely result in higher taxes."

She claims no mechanism is in place for verifying citizenship status.

"After asking for clarification, we discovered that illegal immigrants would be eligible," Holmquist stated. "I don't think the Legislature intended to write checks from our general fund to illegal immigrants. If that was the intention of the Legislature, then a vote to clarify the Legislature's intent is needed."

Holmquist stated it was irresponsible for the Democratic party to pass the law before answering questions of funding and administration.

"This proposal should be shelved until these and other key questions are resolved," she stated. "The bottom line is that the majority has put political expediency and sound bites ahead of true leadership and sound policy."