Stevens' statement on Senate passage of retro bill

March 12, 2009

OLYMPIA…Sen. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, issued this statement after the Senate today passed Senate Bill 6035, which would limit the way private associations could spend money saved in their retrospective rating pools and forbid any spending on political support.   

If passed the bill would halt any use of “retro” rebates for political purposes, essentially muzzling free speech and political action.  

“When the state can tell a voluntary, private association what it can do with its own money, there goes the right of free speech. This not only doesn’t meet the ‘straight-face’ test, it probably wouldn’t hold up in court. 

“This bill says since retro pools are authorized by law to enhance worker safety and save money for employers – any refund money should be limited to those things. 

“But that knife cuts both ways. If it’s true for private associations, it should be true for labor unions. Yet I don’t see a law that stops the Washington Education Association or the Service Employees International Union from using their money for political spending.  

“With this bill the majority party is ramming through a law that specifically limits political spending by associations that don’t support them – while allowing political spending by associations that do.  

“Senate Bill 6035 is a transparent attempt to stack the deck and is patently unfair.” 

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Sen. Stevens represents the 39th Legislative District,
which includes part of rural King, Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties.

For more information contact Pat Albright
at (360) 786-7519 or albright.pat@leg.wa.gov^.