The Washington State legislative committee that was considering a bill requiring businesses with 5,000 or more employees in the state to spend at least 9 percent of their payroll costs on employee health care, or pay the difference into the state's health care fund, has essentially killed the bill by failing to send it to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
Because of legislative deadlines, it appears that the bill is dead for this year.
The bill was modeled on one that has been passed in Maryland, and that is perceived as being primarily designed to target Wal-Mart.
Because of legislative deadlines, it appears that the bill is dead for this year.
The bill was modeled on one that has been passed in Maryland, and that is perceived as being primarily designed to target Wal-Mart.
- KC's View:
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From all reports, it seems that this was not a committee decision, but rather a move by the committee chairman to kill the bill because he was worried that passage of such a bill could lead to a political free-for-all in the state later this year.
If true, it’s too bad. Because these sorts of decisions ought to be made for better reasons than political expediency.
