The legislation:
House Bill (HB) 2035
 
Why it matters:
Currently youth are not allowed to participate in any work during school hours. Current regulations prevent a high school student from participating in a bona fide career and technical education (CTE) program if it includes work-based learning during the school day. Students can work in these programs if the work falls outside of school hours.
 
This legislation would allow students to work in a bona fide CTE program during the school year and during normal school hours. It also allows students enrolled in a bona fide college program to work the “extended” hours also.
 
What you can do:
Send a comment or your position to your legislators.

The legislation:
House Bill (HB) 2244 and Senate Bill (SB) 6069
 
Why it matters:
Studies have shown that many Americans are not preparing for retirement and are relying on Social Security as their retirement plan. The process of setting up a personal IRA account may also be daunting.
 
The House bill and the Senate companion bill would create a mandatory payroll deduction for employees who work for a company that does not currently have some kind of retirement account. The employer must enroll in the program, but the employee must opt out if they don’t want to participate.
 
What you can do:
Send a comment on the House bill or comment on the Senate bill. You can also just state your position.

​The legislation:
House Bill (HB) 2120
 
Why it matters:
The development of clean energy facilities is a long process. There is currently legislation in place that allows a property tax exemption for up to 5 years on the development of new facilities. That may not be long enough to complete the design and construction.
 
This bill would allow local governments the option to extend the property tax exemption for up to four additional years. This change would allow existing project to be completed and may encourage new projects in clean energy.
 
What you can do:
Send a comment or your position to your legislators.

​The legislation:
House Bill (HB) 2276 and Senate Bill (SB) 6191
 
Why it matters:
Real estate excise taxes are paid to both the state and local jurisdictions. The state rate is based on a sliding scale depending on the sales price. It goes from 1.1% for sales less that $525,00 up to 3% for sales above $3,025,000. This new law would raise the 1.1% rate up to $750,000 and impose an additional real estate transfer tax (in addition to real estate excise tax) on all sales above the $3,025,000 amount.
 
The new tax could adversely affect the development of new residential housing and multi family dwelling units. The additional tax on multifamily housing would have a negative impact on affordable housing. It could also stymy new commercial construction.
 
What you can do:
Send a comment on the House Bill or comment on the Senate Hill. You can also just state your position.

House Bill 2114
Rent Control
Passed out of Committee and is in House Appropriations Committee

Senate Bill 6188
Wind Farm Siting
Passed out of Committee and is Senate Environment, Energy & Technology

Read last week's Advocacy Update

Congratulations to PorterKinney, PC on their brand new, beautiful location in Kennewick! Visit them at 8109 W. Grandridge Blvd., Ste. 110.

​The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce (TCRCC) has appointed Karen Irey as the organization’s Office Administrator. In this role, Irey will serve as the primary point of contact for visitors to the TCRCC office, while also providing support for various functions within the membership, programs, and events departments.

With a background as a Funeral Director at Einan’s Funeral Home, Irey brings a wealth of experience in event coordination, schedule management, and efficient supply handling under tight deadlines. Her previous roles as an Office Assistant for the Snohomish County Corrections Guild in Everett, WA, and Front Office Coordinator for the Northwest Center for Optimal Health in Marysville, WA, showcase her versatile skill set.

TCRCC President & CEO Lori Mattson, IOM, expressed enthusiasm about Irey, stating, “We are delighted to welcome Karen to our team as the new Office Administrator. She brings a unique blend of compassion, organizational skills, and attention to detail that aligns seamlessly with our commitment to fostering a supportive and efficient Chamber environment.”

Irey can be reached at 509.736.0510 or [email protected].
​
The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce is the catalyst, convener and champion for community and business prosperity.  For further details about the Regional Chamber, visit www.tricityregionalchamber.com or call 509.736.0510.  

The 2024 Washington State Legislative Session is underway! We're tracking these pieces of legislation that could impact the business community:

The legislation:
House Bill (HB) 2095 and Senate Bill (SB) 5988

Why it matters:
The proposed legislation would require businesses to remit to the State the balance of any unused gift cards if they are not redeemed within three years of purchase. Businesses would still be obligated to honor the cards if they were subsequently redeemed. The business would have to request reimbursement from the State.

The proposal would cause a tremendous amount of additional paperwork for businesses in both tracking gift card sales and in requesting reimbursement if the cards are later redeemed.

What you can do:
​Send a comment or your position to your legislators.

The legislation:
HB 2201 and SB 6058 

Why it matters:
This legislation would open the California Carbon Marketplace up to Washington businesses for the purposes of purchasing carbon credits. It would create a larger marketplace for carbon credits, potentially reducing the cost of carbon credits, which may reduce the pass-through cost to consumers.

​What you can do:
​Send a comment or your position to your legislators.

The legislation:
HB 2114 and SB 5961

Why it matters:
The proposed legislation would place a cap on the amount of rent increase during any 12-month period. It would allow a tenant to immediately terminate their lease if a rent increase of 3% was implemented. It also has other limits to fees and restrictions on lease terms.

Rent control would eliminate a landlord's ability to recoup expenses resulting from property ownership costs. In the event of a rent increase, landlords could face additional burdens from terminated lease agreements.

What you can do:
Send a comment or your position to your legislators.

The legislation:
HB 2117 and SB 6188 

Why it matters:
These bills would require permitting authorities to consider aerial firefighting and wildfire suppression efforts into consideration when siting utility-scale wind facilities. 

This legislation could limit the size and scope of potential wind farms and provide local jurisdictions more input on siting.

What you can do:
Send a comment or your position to your legislators.

Do you know of legislation that you'd like to see us address? Contact Matt Murphy, Government and Regional Affairs Director, at [email protected].

Congratulations to the Kennewick School District on their ribbon cutting ceremony for Ridge View Elementary School on Wednesday, January 17. The school is located at 7001 W. 13th Ave. in Kennewick.

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce (TCRCC) proudly announces the appointment of Matt Murphy as the organization’s Government and Regional Affairs Director. In this pivotal role, Murphy will spearhead the Regional Chamber’s advocacy initiatives, represent the organization on the Tri-Cities Legislative Council, and undertake a variety of other responsibilities.

Before joining the Regional Chamber, Murphy demonstrated exceptional leadership during his nine-year tenure as the President and CEO of the South Kitsap Chamber of Commerce in Port Orchard, WA. His commitment to grassroots advocacy was recognized in 2021 when the Association of Washington Business honored him as the Grassroots Alliance Advocate of the Year. With an extensive background, Murphy has served on influential boards related to his new position, including the Washington Chamber of Commerce Executives Board of Directors, the Olympic Workforce Development Council Board of Directors, and various citizen advisory boards. A Gonzaga University graduate, Murphy also has a military background, having served in the Washington Army National Guard.

Lori Mattson, IOM, President and CEO of TCRCC, expressed enthusiasm about Murphy's addition to the Regional Chamber team, stating, “Matt’s previous experience within the chamber of commerce industry and his advocacy for business owners position him perfectly to lead our government affairs efforts.”

“I believe collaboration and cooperation are our greatest assets for making change,” said Murphy. “Business, elected officials, and citizens all want the same thing: to make the Tri-Cities a great place to live, work, and play.”
​
Murphy can be reached at 509.491.3234 or [email protected].

Why should I sign the petition?
There has been significant concern about the negative impact that this project would have, particularly considering the 231 wind turbines that exceed the height of the Space Needle, spread over such a vast area (a 25-mile corridor encompassing 72,000 acres).

Why the Chamber opposes the project:
We believe that specific impacts to the Tri-Cities economy and quality-of-life have been inadequately addressed and concerns dismissed as trivial results of necessary clean energy development. The Regional Chamber sent a letter of opposition to the project to Gov. Jay Inslee and EFSEC Chair Kathleen Drew in April 2021.

While we refrain from interpreting the science and facts beyond our area of expertise, there remain significant unanswered questions and poorly addressed conclusions. In a 2021 survey, 2,220 respondents and our partners indicated that they had unanswered questions regarding:

• The true efficiency of the benefit of this project when compared to the 93% non-emitting energy resources already provided by the Greater Mid-Columbia Region.
• The long-term economic benefits of selecting this technology over proven alternatives for a region that supplies 40% of Washington’s non-emitting energy.
• The impacts to the $500 Million+ annually expended by consumers visiting Washington Wine Country’s vast unencumbered viewshed.
• Compared to the relatively unseen energy infrastructure of our community, the proximity of the project to our population center creates a disproportionate burden to the region’s nearly 300,000 residents.
• The infrastructure and resource needs of this project may result in reduced capacity for business development in more appropriate locations throughout the region.
• Light pollution through red, flashing aviation warning beacons - and the resultant safety factor of the mitigation strategy suggested for ‘timed periods of inactivity.’
• Obstruction of migratory bird paths, negative impacts to wildlife livelihood, and permanent damage to wildlife habitat.

 
Quick links

• Horse Heaven Wind Project Public Opinion Survey Results Summary
• Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce Letter of Opposition
• Visit Tri-Cities Letter of Opposition
• Benton PUD Analysis of Wind Farm Capacity
• Save Our Ridges