Washington Business Winter 2020 | Washington Business | Page 24

what’s working
“The citizens and the small
and large businesses of
Washington state have
made it clear — no more
taxes. They’ve been taxed
enough. We have more than
enough revenue to sustain the
programs that we currently
have.”
amy k. anderson, mhpa, j.d.
Government Affairs Director,
Education, Workforce, Health Care
and Federal Issues
mike ennis
Government Affairs Director Air
Quality, Land Use, Regulatory
Reform, Transportation and Water
Resources
peter godlewski
Government Affairs Director
Environmental Policy
AB-5 law. “That’s becoming the new baseline,”
Battles said. “That’s a huge concern for business. I
don’t think the California model works. We will be at
the table, but I can tell you right now, I’m not liking
the look of the table. We need engagement from our
members.”
Restrictive scheduling, also known as predictive
or secured scheduling, is an ongoing issue, again
flowing from an effort that began in Seattle. It doesn’t
take into account inclement weather, the desire of
employees for flexibility in picking up extra shifts,
— Tommy Gantz, government affairs
or different industry needs.
director for tax and fiscal policy
Privacy has been a big issue and continues to have
a lot of momentum. The impact of online privacy
rules can be significant, Battles said, especially on small businesses.
Amy Anderson is AWB’s government affairs director for education, workforce development, health
care and federal issues.
Anderson has a law degree and a graduate degree in Health Policy and Administration. She is
co-chair of the state’s Washington State Child Care Collaborative Task Force, helping tell the story of
how a robust, quality child care system helps support employees, employers and the future workforce.
In K-12 education, she’s focused on ensuring that career-connected learning is an integral part of
public education. A priority is to support work-based learning opportunities, including internships and
apprenticeships. That also includes increasing multiple pathways to graduation, to ensure that students
have a chance for career exploration and learning the skills that will help them after high school.
When it comes to health care, including calls for government-run health care, AWB is part of a
universal health care work group, to ensure that the business voice is heard and that the current
innovations in health care can be maintained if and when any changes are made.
“AWB continues to support a free-market health care system, so our voice at the table is critical to
make sure we are looking at what kind of a system, if any at all, would be feasible,” Anderson said.
Other health care issues include bringing down the cost of insulin, addressing mental health services,
medical tourism, and more.
Mike Ennis has led AWB’s transportation and infrastructure advocacy since 2013. He also coordinates
AWB’s rural jobs work. Before coming to AWB in 2013, Ennis studied transportation policy at a Seattle-
based think tank, where he authored numerous studies that received national attention. Ennis served
in the U.S. Army and, on the community level, three terms on the Enumclaw City Council.
A major issue this year is the Legislature’s response to Initiative 976, a voter-approved measure that
cuts funding for state and regional transportation projects.
This short-session year has a much heavier lift than usual, to fund a $500 million hole left by I-976.
AWB is pushing to fully fund maintenance and preservation, and to also fully fund projects of regional
or statewide significance.
Another major issue is the low-carbon fuel standard, which would increase the price of fuel by
up to 57 cents a gallon for gasoline and 63 cents for diesel, according to an analysis by the Puget
Sound Clean Air Agency.
“That’s a significant increase in fuel prices,” Ennis said. “None of that money goes to
transportation infrastructure. It’s just a higher cost of purchasing fuel in Washington.”
Peter Godlewski has led AWB’s environmental, energy and water policy advocacy since 2017. He
previously worked on Columbia River issues in Portland.
There are continued pushes in the Legislature for carbon-reduction measures, including cap-
and-trade, or as it’s now known, cap-and-invest.
24 association of washington business