Five Republicans who serve on the House Environment and Energy Committee spoke out Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021 against House Bill 1084. The bill takes steps to accelerate the removal of natural gas from homes and buildings and would undermine the continued economic viability of natural gas utilities. Republicans said it would kill jobs and eradicate an entire industry of workers.
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All five Republicans who serve on the House Environment and Energy Committee spoke out today against a bill that would kill jobs in Washington and could wipe out an entire industry.
When House Bill 1084 was brought up for a vote, Republican committee members Reps. Mary Dye, Mark Klicker, Peter Abbarno, Matt Boehnke, and Keith Goehner were unified in their remarks, laying out the damages the legislation would cause.
The original bill would have prohibited the use of natural gas in newly-constructed homes and buildings, including for space heating, furnaces, water heaters, interior gas fireplaces and even back deck grills. An amendment removed that prohibition. However, Dye, who serves as ranking Republican on the committee, says the bill takes major steps to accelerate the removal of natural gas from homes and buildings and would undermine the continued economic viability of natural gas utilities.
““The sponsors recognize this bill, as introduced, would eliminate jobs. The original bill required regulators to put a ‘climate protection surcharge’ on gas bills. These funds would have been used to fund retraining programs for workers in the natural gas industry who would lose their jobs,” said Dye, R-Pomeroy. “No one wants to be told the future for them is access to something called a ‘just transition fund’ to pay for retraining for a different job. The committee amendment took out this tax, but this bill still takes steps in that same direction by requiring ‘transition plans’ from natural gas utilities. This measure goes way too far when it signals that it wants an entire industry and its workers to be obsolete.”
Rep. Mark Klicker, R-Walla Walla, says the bill would be significant and impactful on people who are would lose their jobs.
“I believe this is an abuse of government power and it will hurt thousands of people in the natural gas industry, as well as upwards of a million Washingtonians who rely on this energy resource every day. Natural gas is a reliable and inexpensive energy source and our government should not be given the power to shut it down,” said Klicker, assistant ranking Republican on the committee.
Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, noted that homebuilders, Realtors, the trucking association, air conditioning and heat contractors, plumbers and pipefitters, heavy equipment operators with Operating Engineers Local 302, and trade workers are among those who oppose the bill.
“This bill is the worst kind of trifecta — it takes away choice from consumers, it creates a financial burden for working families and small businesses, and it eliminates family-wage jobs,” said Abbarno. “At a time when we should be investing in our communities and the people who build them and make them better, this bill tells a trade worker, heavy machine operator, pipefitter in my community that their job is not valuable, and they will be re-programmed and transitioned to another job.”
Rep. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, noted the bill would have an adverse effect on Washington’s economy.
“House Bill 1084 would kill jobs at a time when we’re trying to rebuild our economy and get Washingtonians back on their feet,” said Boehnke. “Prohibiting the use of natural gas in homes and buildings would have devastating consequences not just for workers, but also for the one million natural gas customers in Washington who would see a $700 increase in their annual energy bill. House Bill 1084 is costly, not just for employers and employees, but for families who are struggling every month to make ends meet. I urge my friends in the majority to reconsider their support for this misguided bill.”
Rep. Keith Goehner, R-Dryden, said the measure would also create instability across the regional electric grid.
“We are fortunate in North Central Washington and Washington state to have dams provide abundant, clean and affordable power, but dams cannot provide all of our power. The impact on the electrical grid and power supply cannot be ignored. This legislation negatively effects the energy reliability in our region and the diversity of our energy portfolio across the state,” said Goehner, R-Dryden.
“Our local communities and economies will also suffer as this takes jobs away from thousands across the state. Instead of focusing on creating jobs or incentivizing a reduction in carbon, we are pushing policy that will eliminate good family-wage jobs, during a pandemic when many folks need to work to support their families,” added Goehner. “This is not a well-thought out piece of legislation. The government should not be putting people out of work and at risk when natural gas can be used as an alternative fuel source.”
Dye summed up the committee Republicans’ view of House Bill 1084.
“This is really one of the many freedom-killing bills of the 2021 session. It is designed to eradicate an entire industry and the jobs that industry provides,” said Dye. “Government should not write laws that declare someone’s job obsolete. We should be making jobs, not taking jobs. This is truly a sad day for Washington with committee passage of this bill.”
The measure passed the committee on a party-line vote, 8-5, with all Republicans voting no.
Rep. Matt Boehnke discusses the Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing Act, a bill he’s sponsored that aims to double the number of manufacturing jobs in WA by 2031. House Bill 1170, which has strong bipartisan support, passed unanimously out of committee earlier today.
Rep. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, joins the Lars Larson Show to discuss the recent statewide data breach that exposed the personal data of at least 1.4 million Washingtonians.
A bill that seeks to double the number of manufacturing jobs in Washington state by 2031 is under consideration by a House committee. John Sattgast reports.
Radio Report Transcript
SATTGAST: More than 265 thousand manufacturing jobs in Washington already generate more than 63-billion dollars annually in economic output. Kennewick Representative Matt Boehnke (BEN’ KEE) is the author of House Bill 1170, also known as the Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing Act.
BOEHNKE: “The goal is now threefold. Number one, to double the number of manufacturing jobs in 10 years. Number two, to double the number of manufacturing firms in our state in 10 years. And number three, to double the number of women-owned and minority-owned manufacturing firms, which is critical.”
SATTGAST: The bill establishes a state goal for Washington to consistently have the highest share of workforce involved in manufacturing, and research and development occupations, of any state. It also directs the state Department of Commerce to identify the initiatives needed to achieve the goals, as well as to implement them.
A virtual public hearing was held in the House Community and Economic Development Committee, which is scheduled to act on the bill this Friday.
John Sattgast, the state Capitol.
A bill sponsored by Rep. Matt Boehnke seeking to double the number of manufacturing jobs in Washington by 2031 will be heard Friday morning in the House Community and Economic Development Committee.
Washington’s 6,600 manufacturers are responsible for more than 265,000 jobs and generate more than $63 billion annually in economic output. Substitute House Bill 1170, the Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing (BEST) Act, would provide a framework for the state to add 300,000 new manufacturing jobs over the next 10 years. The bill also seeks to double the number of small manufacturing firms and the number of women- and minority-owned manufacturing firms in Washington.
“Rebuilding our economy and revitalizing struggling communities around the state is going to take a multifaceted approach focused on real solutions,” said Boehnke, R-Kennewick. “This is a bold bill with strong bipartisan support that offers hope for our economy by focusing on one very specific vision: that Washington be the best place in the world to make things. My goal with this legislation is to rally business, unions, and the building trades to work in solidarity toward a future of economic strength and security in every region of our state. I look forward to seeing this bill advance so we can move one step closer to providing 300,000 new jobs for middle-class Washingtonians, growing our economy, and positioning our state as a leader in this critical sector for decades to come.”
If signed into law, SHB 1170 would:
- Provide that it is the goal of Washington state to double the state’s manufacturing jobs, double the number of small businesses in manufacturing, and double the number of women- and minority-owned manufacturing businesses over the next 10 years.
- Direct the state Department of Commerce (Commerce) to identify the strategic initiatives needed to achieve the goals laid out in SHB 1170.
- Require biennial reporting to the Legislature on the state’s progress in achieving these goals, and require policy recommendations from a broad-based manufacturing council.
- Assist Commerce in forming strategies tailored to each region of the state to grow the manufacturing workforce.
- Direct Commerce to appoint a workforce innovation sector lead to identify needs and coordinate with state agencies to meet them.
- Direct Commerce to report to the Legislature on how to strengthen the research and development sector that supports manufacturing innovation.
A public hearing on SHB 1170 is scheduled for Friday at 8:30 a.m. in the House Community and Economic Development Committee.
Due to election-year restrictions, I was unable to send you legislative email updates throughout much of 2020. With this year’s legislative session under way, I look forward to resuming my regular communication with you. Thank you for the opportunity to continue representing the Mighty 8th in the Legislature. It is truly a privilege to serve you and work on behalf of our communities.
On the first day of session (Jan. 11), legislators convened at the Capitol to pass temporary rules that allow us to meet remotely for the next several months. While a remote session is far from ideal, please know I am making every effort to be as accessible to you as possible. I encourage you to reach out to me any time so we can work together on the issues most important to you and your family. My email address is Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, and my district office number is (509) 315-2315. I look forward to hearing from you!
Working to rebuild our economy and revitalize our communities
Our top priority as House Republicans this session is safely getting Washingtonians back to work, school, and a more normal life. We had hoped to start working toward this goal months ago, but the governor opted not to call us into a special session. I believe that was a mistake, but now we must look forward and focus on the task at hand.
As the new ranking Republican member of the House Community and Economic Development Committee, my priority is rebuilding our economy and revitalizing our communities. I have cosponsored several bills aimed at doing that.
House Bill 1334, the REAL Recovery for Washington Act, is a $4 billion economic recovery plan that would provide immediate financial support to struggling families and businesses, and accelerate the safe reopening of schools. It would spend $2.1 billion from the state’s “rainy-day” fund and other untapped federal sources, along with $1.8 billion in new federal funds approved by Congress last month. You can learn more about the bill here.
House Bill 1321 is an important bill aimed at giving our small business owners a fighting chance. It would immediately move the entire state to Phase 2 of the governor’s “Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery” plan. Currently, every region in Washington is under Phase 1 restrictions. Fitness centers and indoor entertainment venues are operating at extremely limited capacity, and restaurants are prohibited from offering indoor dining to patrons. Under Phase 2, fitness centers, indoor entertainment venues and restaurants could return to 25% indoor capacity if following the proper protocols to protect Washingtonians and minimize the spread of COVID-19.
House Bill 1095 would exempt businesses from paying state taxes on government COVID-19 aid. The bill, which would be retroactive to last March and apply going forward, could provide relief for as many as 100,000 taxpayers across the state. Joe O’Sullivan with The Seattle Times recently interviewed me for a story he wrote on the bill. You can read his piece here.
In addition to these bills, I have introduced two other bills designed to create jobs and foster economic growth in both the short and long-term.
House Bill 1170, the Washington Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing (BEST) Act, provides a framework for our state to lead the nation in both manufacturing and research & development jobs by 2030. To achieve this goal, we need to add 300,000 manufacturing jobs over the next nine years. If signed into law, my bill would require the state Department of Commerce to do a number of things, including:
- Convening manufacturing and R&D stakeholders to compile a report to the Legislature detailing the progress made towards, and identifying policy obstacles to, achieving the state manufacturing goal.
- Establishing regional offices staffed with a lead coordinator responsible for establishing a research and manufacturing industrial council, identifying and expanding capacity for local skill centers, and promoting and fostering skilled trade learning programs.
- Coordinating with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to assess any inadequacy or gaps in delivering remote hands-on, skills-based manufacturing workforce training.
- Reporting to the Legislature on the feasibility of forming both a state manufacturing office and a state research and development office to support the attainment of the state manufacturing goal.
House Bill 1170 is scheduled to receive a public hearing in the House Community and Economic Development Committee on Friday, Jan. 29.
House Bill 1190 would lay the groundwork for our state to become a national and global leader in the future of commercial space exploration. The global space sector, currently valued at $350 billion, is expected to carry at least a $1 trillion valuation by 2040. My bill would direct the state Department of Commerce to complete a study of public policies that would: a) foster the development of the new space economy in Washington, and b) look at the geographic distribution of potential employment and training opportunities across the state.
If you have any ideas for legislation, please don’t hesitate to send me an email.
Staying connected this session
I encourage you to stay engaged in the legislative process this session by following House Republicans on Twitter and Facebook, visiting The Ledger, and utilizing the resources listed in this document. Finally, please bookmark my legislative website, where you can find my latest press releases, video updates, interviews, and more.
It is an honor to serve you. Until next time, please stay safe and take care.
Rep. Matt Boehnke appointed ranking member of the House Community and Economic Development Committee
Rep. Matt Boehnke has been selected by the House Republican Caucus to serve as ranking member of the newly-created House Community and Economic Development Committee.
The committee will consider issues relating to community development, community investment programs, and underrepresented communities. It will also consider issues relating to economic development and economic resiliency, including small business assistance; business financing; international trade; tourism; parks and recreation; telecommunications; and broadband; as well as emergency preparedness, response, and resiliency.
“I am deeply humbled by this opportunity to serve as ranking member of the House Community and Economic Development Committee,” said Boehnke, R-Kennewick. “I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner with all committee members to help rebuild our economy, support Washington families, and make our communities safer, stronger and more prosperous.”
Boehnke has also been appointed to the House Appropriations Committee and will continue to serve on the House Environment and Energy Committee.
The 2021 legislative session will begin Monday, Jan. 11.
As the state legislators representing Washington’s 8th Legislative District, which includes the federal government’s sprawling Hanford Site, we have every reason to want the cleanup of Hanford to be successful.
It’s been more than 30 years since Hanford’s mission officially shifted from the defense nuclear production that helped the United States win World War II and the Cold War to dealing with the massive volume of nuclear waste left from plutonium production. Today, more than 8,000 Hanford workers are involved in the cleanup effort. It is a tremendous undertaking, requiring the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to spend billions of dollars every year.
The most costly and technically challenging part of Hanford’s environmental remediation is the retrieval, treatment and long-term storage of approximately 56 million gallons of nuclear waste stored in 177 underground tanks. A January 2019 DOE report estimated that the tank waste treatment mission alone could cost $548 billion and may not be completed until the year 2078.
We firmly believe it is the federal government’s responsibility to clean up the Hanford Site, in the most cost-efficient, but effective way. At the same time, based on the history of federal funding for cleanup, we simply don’t believe Congress will appropriate an average of more than $9 billion in each of the next 58 years (and again, that’s just for the underground waste storage tanks).
It is with this perspective that we strongly encourage DOE and its two regulators, the state Department of Ecology and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, to actively explore new, innovative ways to expedite cleanup and reduce costs while continuing to protect public health and the environment.
One promising idea is to manage and treat nuclear waste based on its physical characteristics, rather than its origin. This science-driven approach would stop managing all defense waste as though it emits high levels of radioactivity — even when it does not.
At Hanford, such an approach could significantly reduce costs and shorten cleanup timelines. Importantly, it could also provide a pathway for waste to be disposed of out-of-state instead of being stored here in the 8th District indefinitely.
While some oppose making this change, the reality is that the status quo is unacceptable.
DOE has already successfully implemented this new approach at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, resulting in the permanent disposal of a small quantity of material at a commercial facility outside of the state. We strongly encourage a similar effort at Hanford.
We are proud of the contribution the Hanford Site and the Tri-City community have made to our nation over many decades. Looking ahead, we join the local elected officials, Hanford advocates and other 8th District voices calling on those responsible to embrace these new and innovative solutions, toward the successful completion of the site’s mission.
As published in the Tri-City Herald
Thank you to everyone who participated in the telephone town hall Sen. Brown, Rep. Klippert and I held last month. We took a lot of calls, most of which were focused on the coronavirus crisis. We want you to know we hear your concerns and frustrations, and are doing everything we can to convey them to Gov. Jay Inslee and his staff.
During the call, we asked participants to weigh in on a survey question: “Should Gov. Inslee begin to open more businesses that can safely practice social distancing?” Nearly 75 percent of you said yes. We agree.
Earlier this week, the state’s Employment Security Department reported that more than 800,000 Washingtonians have filed for unemployment insurance since this crisis began. With our state having already flattened the coronavirus curve, it is imperative that we quickly—and safely—get Washingtonians back to work.
On April 17, Republicans in the state House and Senate released a comprehensive plan to safely restart our economy and promote its continued recovery over the long term. More on that below.
Only recently did the governor announce his own plan to reopen our state in four phases (Phase 1 began May 5). However, this one-size-fits-all approach simply does not make sense. Benton County is not King County. Our approach to this crisis shouldn’t have to match their approach. That’s why I signed on to a letter earlier this month advocating for a plan focused on decentralization and recovery.
From the letter:
“Each of the 39 counties in Washington are represented by elected officials and supported by staff capable of waging the tactical fight against the virus and its impact on their communities. They have an in-depth, detailed understanding of the resources and response methods that will best suit their county. They also have the ability to be more directly receptive to citizens’ needs on a local level and are in a better position to determine which restrictions to impose or modify, which to remove, and the proper timeframe in which to do so. Empowering county-level leaders will have a number of positive effects. It will encourage creative solutions and the development and sharing of good ideas and best-practices, allow our economy to recover faster while still maintaining safety protocols, and it will enable you and your staff to focus on the larger strategy such as acquiring and appropriately allocating state resources and conducting interstate collaboration.“
As the governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order remains in effect, tens of thousands of business owners and their employees simply continue to wait and hope their financial futures haven’t been permanently destroyed. Meanwhile, our state now faces a massive budget deficit that will likely require a special session later this year to address.
For years, House Republicans have urged the majority party to budget for the long term and not spend every dime provided by taxpayers. Unfortunately, our words have not been heeded and spending has skyrocketed.
We’re now in a position where there are going to have be serious cuts to programs. And although there are rumblings some Democrats are hoping to use this crisis as a way to pass massive new tax increases on Washingtonians, we’re simply not going to allow that to happen.
Safe Economic Restart Plan
As I mentioned above, Republicans in the state House and Senate released a comprehensive plan on April 17—the “Safe Economic Restart Plan“—that includes a number of actions our state can take to rebuild our economy.
Immediate action to be taken right now
- Convene a Restart Task Force comprising legislative leaders, relevant executive-branch directors and representatives of the business and organized-labor communities.
- This group will chart a course toward allowing all Washington businesses to reopen, on a phased or limited basis as necessary, with COVID-19 protections for workers and customers in place.
- Fully disclose the “metrics” that must be met before the business-closure order can be lifted or amended. Knowing the standards will allow the people of Washington to act accordingly.
- Deliver on the massive testing capabilities promised by state health officials ahead of the business-closure order. Direct the appropriate state agencies to acquire antibody tests and work with employers to screen workers. Workers found to have the antibodies resulting from the COVID-19 infection will be immediately eligible for employment.
- Interface with the governor’s Business Recovery Legislative Task Force and be prepared to support recommendations that are achievable, measurable and complementary.
- Exempt small businesses from paying sales and B&O taxes for one year.
- Offer state-government assistance to the many small businesses in Washington that do not qualify for federal emergency-assistance programs.
- A moratorium on all state-agency rulemaking not related to the current crisis. Rules are important, but at a time when many businesses are simply trying to survive, the making of new rules seems less than essential. Relief from rulemaking goes hand-in-hand with relief from taxes.
- Allow operations to resume in economic sectors that fit one or more of these criteria: low-risk, personal health, environmental protection, aid to elderly/physically challenged, alternate quarantine locations, assisting businesses with tax-related requirements, or property protection.
- Examples are auto dealers, solo landscape services, car washes, remodeling companies/contractors, residential construction, hairdressers/barbers, flower shops, RV parks, dentists, installers of home/commercial security systems, and accountants/tax preparers
Legislative action to be taken in a special session
- Forgive first-quarter small-business B&O taxes for 2020 and allow deferral of remaining quarterly taxes to the end of 2020. It makes more sense for state government to assist employers through this difficult time, so they can return to becoming regular taxpayers, than to see employers fail and drop off the tax rolls completely.
- Forgive payments related to unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation and paid family leave for April 2020 through the month that the business-closure order is lifted or amended, as appropriate.
Actions to be taken within 6-12 months of all businesses being able to reopen
- Increase the small-business tax credit to exempt businesses with annual gross receipts of an amount to be determined.
- Business-tax reporting and payment deferral for B&O, sales, and use tax.
- A year-long holiday from the state’s unemployment insurance social-cost tax, with the option for an additional one-year reduction in the social-cost tax. Timing would depend on the condition of the state UI trust account (which may shrink despite federal-funding backfill).
- Sales-tax holiday(s) to help jump-start business activity statewide: These would be aligned with known shopping promotions (e.g. back to school, Black Friday, Cyber Monday) and last for several days. Although state tax collections would be reduced, B&O collections would likely increase.
- Aid regarding workers’ compensation premiums: Extend L&I’s Employer Assistance Program for small businesses for all of 2020. Direct L&I to determine whether it has reserve funds to forgive some premium payments for small businesses with deferrals or payment plans per COVID-19.
- Waive state minimum-wage increase for 2021: With the minimum wage being tied to CPI and speculation that there may be a decrease in the CPI, hold any future inflationary adjustments to the state minimum wage until the index exceeds the January 2020 level.
A reminder to respond to the 2020 Census
The U.S. Census bureau is mailing out paper questionnaires to households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. Critical funding for our state is dependent on getting an accurate measure of our population, so if you have not yet responded, please visit my2020census.gov and fill out the questionnaire.
Red Cross blood drive in Kennewick on May 20
I wanted to pass along this message from Michele Roth, Executive Director of the American Red Cross for Central and Southeastern Washington:
Thanks to the many who gave blood and scheduled upcoming appointments, the Red Cross has been able to meet immediate patient needs. During this uncertain time, we encourage individuals to keep scheduled blood donation appointments and to make new blood donation appointments for the weeks ahead to ensure a stable supply throughout this pandemic. It’s important to remember that blood is perishable and cannot be stockpiled.
The next blood drive will be on May 20 at the Kennewick Red Cross office (7202 W Deschutes Kennewick, WA 99336). I plan on being there and hope you’ll join me. Let’s make a difference together! To sign up, click here.
Contacting me and election-year restrictions
I couldn’t be prouder to represent you and the mighty 8th District. Please continue to stay safe, stay strong, and take care of one another as we continue to navigate our way through this crisis. All of you are in my thoughts.
NOTE: Due to election-year restrictions that begin on Monday, this will be my last email update to you until after the November election results are certified. The exception is if we go into a special session. However, I am able to respond year-round to constituents who contact me, so please keep your emails and calls coming. My email address is Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, and my district office number is (509) 873-0008.
It is an honor to serve you.