Inslee orders halt on evictions and tax penalties

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee has announced a statewide moratorium on evictions for the next 30 days as well as a suspension of penalties and interest on business taxes “for at least 30 days” as part of the latest round of emergency actions to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Speaking at a video conference largely attended by officials and reporters working remotely, Inslee said these were “extraordinary times” that require a quick and decisive action from government.

“We are now heading for some really choppy economic waters,” Inslee said. “We will get through it, but it will be tough.”

Inslee held the Wednesday press conference to highlight the steps the state was taking to help employees, employers and renters across the state. Over the last week, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted Inslee to order schools closed for six weeks, limit the size of public gathers to fewer than 50 people, and close restaurants and other public entertainment venues for everything but take-out and delivery orders, putting a strain on local businesses and putting a number of people out of work.

In addition to the moratorium and evictions and the relief on tax collections, Inslee also said he was waiving the one-week waiting period for people who have lost their jobs so they can apply for unemployment insurance immediately. He also said he was making that waiver retroactive to Mar. 8.

Inslee also said he would expand access to emergency assistance to families without children, and was asking the White House for a disaster declaration that would expand unemployment insurance to those most affected by the disaster, such as restaurant employees.

“It’s very important for families that will be stressed, but it’s also important for the economy,” he said.

Inslee also asked public utility districts across the state to waive late fees on utility payments, an act a number of municipal and public utilities in the Puget Sound area have already made.

“We see many acts of civic responsibility and action, and that’s just heartening to see,” he said.

However, Inslee would not respond to repeated requests wanting to know if more stringent actions, such as San Francisco’s “shelter-in-place order,” were being considered for Washington state.

“I could spend a lot of time chasing down rumors,” he said. “I’m focused on today’s problems, I’m focused on what we can do together today.”

Suzi LeVine, head of the state’s Employment Security Department, said her agency has seen a 150 percent increase in applications for unemployment claims for last week, and said data so far says the current week is even higher still.

“This is a tsunami of demand,” she said.

LeVine said, however, last week’s data won’t be published until Thursday, and her agency is asking for more leeway to publish unemployment claim data from the federal government, which oversees the country’s unemployment insurance system.

LeVine also said that the state has seen a 500 percent increase in applications from businesses to the state’s partial wage replacement program, which partially covers the wages of employees who are no longer able to work full-time hours.

Inslee, who is 69, said he is also distancing himself by working from the governor’s residence, limiting his public appearances, and has no contact with either his mother-in-law or grand children.

“In so many ways, we’re not going to be living what you and I would consider normal lives for some time,” he said.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com