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Legislative Priorities
In late 2009, the WRA Government Affairs Committee adopted the following legislative priorities for 2010. These priorities were established based on input of members around the state and the outcomes of the regional legislative meetings. Below, you will find the WRA's specific 2010 goals for each issue affecting the restaurant industry:
For in-depth background information on each of these issues, please download our Legislative Priorities PDF.
State Issues
2010 Goals:
Taxes
- Defeat tax and fee proposals that add costs to restaurants.
- Defeat proposals to add benefits and costs to the Unemployment Insurance (UI) system.
- Minimize the impact of changes to the workers' compensation system that adversely impact the WRA Retro program.
- Defeat employer payroll taxes to fund family leave.
- Reverse liquor price increases imposed in 2009 on licensees.
Retro
- Protect the WRA's ability to offer Retro.
- Minimize the adverse impacts of accounting changes.
- Ensure the WRA is selected to be part of any ongoing policy process.
Minimum Wage
- Continue educating lawmakers and administration officials on the adverse impacts of minimum wage.
- Gain support from individual Democratic leaders.
- Have a bill introduced with Democratic sponsorship.
- Explore the formation of a minimum wage coalition.
- Conduct public opinion research, subject to resource availability.
Tip Credit
- Continue educating lawmakers and administration officials on the adverse impacts and inequity of not allowing a tip credit.
- Maintain updated issue briefs and communications materials.
Health Insurance Reform
- Defeat proposals that add costs or a single payer for health insurance coverage.
- Be a constructive leader (member) of business health care coalitions
Data Breach
- Protect restaurants from liability for costs associated with breaches of security for credit cards.
- Defeat proposals that transfer liability and/or costs to restaurants.
Worker Privacy
- Protect employers' rights to communicate with their workers in the workplace.
- Defeat worker privacy legislation.
Sustainability
- Identify best practices with the National Restaurant Association and Green Restaurant Association.
- Form a WRA sustainability task force to review policy proposals and identify best practices.
- Position WRA members as thoughtful leaders in developing sustainable practices.
- Defeat proposals that are cost prohibitive or lead to unproductive outcomes.
Gaming
- Educate key lawmakers and administration officials on fiscal benefits, heading into the 2010 session
- Continue to educate key stakeholders interested in state revenue.
- Identify Democrat and Republican leaders on the issue in both the House and Senate.
Alcohol (pricing)
- Reverse the decision to increase spirits prices to licensees.
- Protect licensees against further increases in prices.
- Defeat proposals to eliminate the 15 percent discount to licensees.
Alcohol (Liquor Control Board reorganization)
- Explore alternative LCB structures that meet WRA principles.
- Defeat proposals to authorize a voluntary board, unless agreed to by the WRA GAC.
- Establish strong working relationships with new LCB members.
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Local Issues
2010 Goals:
Packaging
- Represent members' interests to local elected officials in Seattle, Issaquah and any other cities/counties that consider a packaging ordinance.
- Protect members with the realization that a majority of these municipalities will pass an ordinance in some form.
- Align quick service and full service sectors when/where necessary.
- Examine longer term strategy of statewide policies versus local jurisdictional policies.
Sodium
- Continue supporting the NRA's work on the national level.
- Monitor state and local government, and engage if any legislation is considered regulating our industry's use of sodium.
- Continue educating lawmakers on the industry's voluntary efforts.
Living Wage Initiatives
- Defeat living wage proposals that increase Washington's minimum wage.
- Develop business and other stakeholder support for the WRA's position on minimum/living wage.
Sprinker Requirements
- Respond to member requests for help on this issue throughout the year.
Small Business Assistance/Taxes
- Encourage the Seattle City Council to repeal "head tax" this year.
- Work with local chambers of commerce to provide supporting information on local tax issues.
Nutritional Labeling
- Provide King County Council with regular updates on implementation issues.
- Identify necessary changes based on implementation experience.
- Amend local requirements in accordance to federal law, if passed.
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National Issues
WRA Positions:
Health Care Reform
- The WRA supports market-driven health-care reforms that lead to greater access to affordable, quality health care for American businesses, their employees and others.
Obesity/Nutrition
- The WRA believes that a national, uniform standard for menu labeling is preferable to state by state, or individual jurisdictional approaches.
Immigration
- The WRA believes in immigration reform that can assist immigrants into transitioning to legal, taxpaying status.
Card Check
- The WRA believes that an employee's decision to join a union should be made in private.
Alcohol Taxes
- Beer, wine and spirits sales are vitally important to the economic well-being of WRA members.
- The WRA believes adding new federal taxes on top of recently imposed state price hikes on spirits would have adverse impact on the employment and economic viability of our members.
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