More trouble is plaguing Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program as growing demand leaves applicants facing long delays and extended wait times for customer service. Despite recent efforts to increase staffing, the Employment Security Department is now asking for $23 million to hire 98 more employees over the next two years. These new hires would help with application processing, answering phones, and assisting employers, but they need approval from the governor and Legislature.

Since it began in 2020, the program has paid out over $5 billion to more than 510,000 workers. But with demand surging, and another 35% growth expected, the program can’t keep up. Application processing times have improved, but call wait times skyrocketed to nearly 29 minutes in 2023.

Meanwhile, as Shift WA previously reported, the program’s solvency is still a concern, with officials warning of a potential deficit as early as October. Since its start, applications and payouts have soared, with over $1.5 billion paid out in 2023 — more than double the amount from 2020. Despite initial claims that the spike in usage was a COVID-19 anomaly, demand keeps rising. The tax rate on workers nearly doubled in 2023, and after a $200 million bailout by the State Legislature, it only dropped slightly.

Ultimately, the program’s survival depends on getting a larger share of taxpayer dollars – one way or another. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

Gov. Jay Inslee’s obsession with pushing the Horse Heaven wind and solar project is a prime example of his top-down, out-of-touch approach to governing. Despite fierce local opposition and legitimate concerns about wildlife, scenic views, and the effectiveness of the project, Inslee overrode a scaled-back version of the plan, prioritizing his “clean energy” agenda over the people living in the area. Even the Energy Facilities Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) initially recommended a smaller, more balanced project, but Inslee pressured them to return to the original, larger proposal. He dismissed concerns about endangered hawks and environmental impacts, all while ignoring the project’s questionable energy production claims. Meanwhile, residents’ objections to losing their open landscapes were met with the dismissive remark, “You get used to it,” by project developers—likely echoing Inslee’s attitude. State Rep. Mary Dye (R-Pomeroy) hit the nail on the head by calling out Inslee for acting like an emperor, trampling on local voices in his rush to push through his green energy vanity project. Read more at Center Square.

The 2023-2024 K-12 Report Card from OSPI shows minimal improvement, with only 50.3% of students on track in English, 39.7% in Math, and 43.5% in Science—nearly identical to last year’s dismal scores. Despite being years past pandemic-related closures and spending over $18,000 per student, public schools show no significant progress. Superintendent Chris Reykdahl downplays the importance of standardized testing, but even flawed metrics should be improving by now. The answer? Instead of endlessly funding a stagnant system, parents should be allowed to redirect their education dollars to options that actually work for their kids. If some parents are content with these results, they can stick with public schools, but for others, there must be other choices other than a system that’s failing their children. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.

As Shift WA previously reported, around 50,000 public workers in Washington state were urged to stage a walkout on Sept. 10 to protest proposed pay increases, even though details of the state’s offer were unknown at the time. Public salary negotiations are kept secret, a practice favored by unions but antithetical to transparency. Taxpayers, who fund these negotiations, are excluded from the process while the state’s budget has increased by 118% over the past decade, far outpacing population growth and inflation.

Despite this increase, the state’s new offer, rumored to include only a 2% cost-of-living adjustment, falls short of the substantial raises workers have become accustomed to. Participation in the walkout varied, with claims of thousands protesting statewide, but on-the-ground reports indicated smaller gatherings. And, not surprisingly, union leaders hinted at possible escalation, including strikes, although it would be unlawful. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.

Washington voters have several key statewide debates coming up this week, including for governor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and lands commissioner. The second gubernatorial debate between Democrat Bob Ferguson and Republican Dave Reichert is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. in Spokane. The event will be broadcast across multiple TV stations and streamed online. Earlier that day, debates for superintendent of public instruction, attorney general, and lands commissioner will take place as part of the Association of Washington Business (AWB) Policy Summit, starting at 11 a.m. These debates will also be streamed via TVW. The Washington State Debate Coalition is hosting an attorney general debate Thursday at 8 p.m. at Seattle Central College, which will be aired by FOX 13. Additional debates for other races, including Seattle City Council and superintendent of public instruction, are also planned for later in the month. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

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