Legislative roundup for March 2

• Published March 02, 2007

Comments (0)

Poll: Voters support paid leave bills

A poll showed Thursday that 73 percent of Washington voters favor paid-medical-leave legislation, giving hope to supporters of the job protections.

The Economic Opportunity Institute in Seattle arranged for the poll and released it at a news conference in Olympia.

Backers of two pending legislative measures cited the results as evidence they have an idea that deserves passage this year in the Democrat-controlled Legislature.

"I think 2007 is the year," said Rep. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma, a backer of House Bill 1658.

Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, said there is support in the Senate for Senate Bill 5659, including a commitment from its majority leader, Sen. Lisa Brown.

Rep. Marylou Dickerson, D-Seattle, said the measure carries little state cost because it is funded by 2-cents-per-hour payroll taxes on workers.

The Association of Washington Business is among groups that oppose the measures, both of which have a Monday deadline for passage out of fiscal committees. The measures would provide up to five weeks of leave at up to $250 per week.

Don Brunell, president of the AWB, said his group opposes another mandate on businesses and prefers to see government encourage employers to be flexible about employees' needs. He said his organization has assisted nine employees in his 23 years, including a few with cancer, and did so using vacation, sick leave and shared leave from other workers - all without a state-mandate.

Brunell has said the legislation imposes a one-size-fits-all approach on businesses.

But Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner of Moms Rising, an advocacy group, said the bill is needed. "The goal is to build a true family-friendly America," she said.

The poll of 600 voters was done Feb. 12-14 by Lake Research Partners and has a margin of error of 3.7 percent. It found 73 percent of voters statewide and 79 percent of women favored the paid-leave concept - even if workers have to pay 3 cents per hour.

About 65 percent of men supported it, Watkins said. He said 82 percent of voters in Eastern Washington favored the legislation, which could cost workers about $40 per year.

Next page >>