washington business
Of Note
AWB Joins Walgreens , Premera , Local Chambers for Wenatchee , Pasco Vaccine Clinics
AWB joined local leaders in Wenatchee and Pasco along with Premera and Walgreens officials to support a series of vaccination clinics .
“ Washington employers are doing their part to stop Covid-19 , protect public health and keep the economy open ,” AWB President Kris Johnson said following the clinic in Wenatchee , which was held in conjunction with a job fair . “ This event was a double win : More vaccinations , and more people connected with a strong group of employers looking to hire immediately .”
AWB ’ s employer services arm , Forterra , Inc ., joined Premera , Walgreens , the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Wenatchee Downtown Association to host the event . In August , Forterra joined with Premera , Walgreens and the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to host clinics in Pasco .
The clinics offered the Pfizer vaccine free of charge . No appointments were required , which made it easy for people to drop in and get the shot . Those who received a vaccination also received a $ 50 gift card provided by Forterra .
Tacoma LNG Project Wins Approval from Key State Board
Puget Sound Energy ’ s liquefied natural gas plant has cleared a major permitting milestone , The News Tribune reports .
The development on the Tacoma Tideflats was given the go-ahead by the state ’ s Pollution Control Hearings Board . The board ’ s decision also requires additional monitoring for emissions .
“ The LNG facility is critical to ensuring we can serve our customers on the coldest days of the year when demand on the system is at its peak ,” a PSE spokesman said .
The LNG facility would produce 250,000-500,000 gallons of LNG a day , stored in an 8-million-gallon tank on the Tideflats . AWB ’ s Manufacturing Week tour bus stopped at the facility in 2018 and went inside the tank when it was under construction .
Contact AWB Government Affairs Director Peter Godlewski at PeterG @ awb . org for more information .
Voters Voice Disapproval of Capital Gains Tax by 22 % Margin
Voters in 38 of 39 Washington counties told the Legislature that they do not approve of the state ’ s new capital gains tax . In an advisory vote on this year ’ s general election ballot , voters across the state said , by a nearly 61 % to 39 % margin , that the state ’ s new 7 % capital gains tax should not be approved .
The vote is non-binding , but it conveys to the Legislature that the tax — which is currently the subject of a legal challenge — does not have the approval of the electorate .
The fact that the measure was voted down in King County and all but one other county is noteworthy . Jefferson County voters gave the measure a thumbs up on a 52-48 % vote .
AWB , which is part of the Opportunity for All Coalition that is challenging the capital gains tax in court , has told legislators that this tax is just one more weight on employers — the latest burden to make it harder for employers to expand or even survive .
Contact Government Affairs Director Tommy Gantz at TommyJG @ awb . org to learn more and get involved .
14 association of washington business