From the Washington State Labor Council

Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-Vancouver), the ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, pushed an amendment Thursday that would, in his words, "spread the pain" and "say we are all in this together."

Was he talking about removing one or two of the 580 tax breaks for various businesses and industries in Washington? Nope. He was talking about requiring state employees to pay a greater share of their health insurance costs.

Thankfully, the Democrats on the committee held their ground and rejected Sen. Zarelli's amendment.

As it is, neither the Senate nor House budget proposals provide enough money to pay for increases in the state's share of health-insurance costs. That means state employees are already facing higher co-payments or other fees in the future.

The Washington Federation of State Employees, AFSCME Council 28 estimates that state employees have already given up $1 billion, including the loss of negotiated pay raises, a freeze on hiring, expected layoffs, $400 million in deferred pension payments, and other cuts.

Zarelli's suggestion that state employees are due more suffering adds insult to injury.

"We've frozen their raises, eliminated their step increases. ... We've now taken away from their pensions and we're going to do layoffs," Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Kent) told The Olympian. Cutting health benefits would be "just too much," she said.Powered by Qumana