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Proposed cut to state worker health care stopped

• Published April 16, 2009

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Senate Republicans unsuccesfully proposed a 2 percent cut to the amount of money used to cover health insurance costs for state employees. They would have used the savings to reduce cuts to nursing home and personal care from 5 percent to 2 percent.

"My attempt here is to say we're all in this together," said Sen. Joseph Zarelli, the lead Republican on the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

The reduction amounts to $14 less per month per state employee, to $709, he said. He noted that nursing homes and others are facing reductions in payments, while state workers have so far only lost their raises in a Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing last night.

"What I'm saying here is we ought to give something up," he said.

The amendment failed in a roll-call vote.

Tim Welch, spokesman for the Washington Federation of State Employees, said he expects more attempts to reduce funding for health insurance before the legislative session’s scheduled end April 26.

"State employees, when you add it all up, have already given up $1 billion dollars. They've given up enough," Welch said. Those reductions include losing negotiated pay raises, a freeze on hiring, expected layoffs and $400 million in deferred pension payments.

Here's the six-minute exchange from TVW. If you watch the full clip, you see a second amendment along the same lines by Sen. Cheryl Pflug, also defeated. She would have used the saved money to restore 24,000 slots to the Basic Health Plan.