Tag Archives: COVID-19

Governor signs Holy bill helping health-care workers during pandemic

A bill from 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy that aims to help health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic took effect immediately when it was signed by Gov. Jay Inslee yesterday.

The law created by Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5190 will extend unemployment-insurance eligibility to health-care workers who must leave work to quarantine during a public-health emergency. It also will provide presumptive workers’ compensation coverage for health-care workers who contract the disease that is the subject of a public-health emergency.

“I’m glad the governor signed this common-sense bill that tries to solve a problem for health-care workers during this and any future pandemic,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “Health-care workers face a serious, immediate threat when they have to treat patients with infectious diseases. For over a year, we have faced a health-care crisis of great magnitude here in Washington and throughout the nation. It’s important for us to take care of the medical professionals who are being asked to help take care of the public.”

The Senate originally passed the proposal 34-15 on Feb. 25. After the House approved an amended version of the bill 84-14 on April 8, the Senate voted 37-12 on April 19 to concur with the revised measure.

House passes Holy bill helping health-care workers during pandemic

A bill from 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy that aims to help health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic was approved last night by the House of Representatives. If the Senate agrees with changes made by the House, the measure will advance to the governor’s desk.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5190 would extend unemployment-insurance eligibility to health-care workers who must leave work to quarantine during a public-health emergency. The bipartisan proposal, passed 84-14 by the House, also would provide presumptive workers’ compensation coverage for health-care workers who contract the disease that is the subject of a public-health emergency.

“I’m glad the House showed strong bipartisan support in amending and passing this common-sense bill that tries to solve a problem for health-care workers during this and any future pandemic,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “Health-care workers face a serious, immediate threat when they have to treat patients with infectious diseases. When we have a health-care crisis of this magnitude here in Washington and throughout the nation, we need to take care of the people who are being asked to help take care of the public.”

The bill returns to the Senate, which must decide whether to concur, or agree, with the House’s changes to the proposal. The 2021 legislative session is scheduled to end April 25.

Senate passes Holy bill helping health-care workers during pandemic

A bill introduced by 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy that aims to help health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic has been approved by the Senate.

The Senate voted 34-15 tonight to pass Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5190, which would provide health-care workers with presumptive benefits during a public-health emergency. The bipartisan proposal specifically would make health-care workers eligible for unemployment-insurance benefits for workers who are terminated or left work to quarantine during a public-health emergency. ESSB 5190 also would provide presumptive workers’ compensation coverage for health-care workers who contract the disease that is the subject of a public-health emergency.

“I’m pleased the Senate passed this common-sense bill that tries to solve a problem for health-care workers throughout our state during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “Health-care workers face a serious, immediate threat when they have to treat patients with infectious diseases. When we have a health-care crisis of this magnitude here in Washington and throughout the nation, we need to take care of the people who are being asked to help take care of the public.”

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

 

Senate panel approves Holy bills addressing issues related to COVID-19

Two bills sponsored by 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy that address issues arising since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have been approved by the Senate Labor, Commerce and Tribal Affairs Committee.

The panel on Thursday passed Substitute Senate Bill 5190, which would provide health-care workers with presumptive benefits during a public-health emergency. The bipartisan bill specifically would make health-care workers eligible for unemployment-insurance benefits for workers who are terminated or left work to quarantine during a public-health emergency. SSB 5190 also would provide presumptive workers’ compensation coverage for health-care workers who contract the disease that is the subject of a public-health emergency.

“This is a common-sense bill that tries to solve a real problem faced by health-care workers during this COVID crisis,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “Health-care workers face a very direct and immediate threat when they have to treat patients with infectious diseases. I was approached by constituent health-care workers who had been told to take unpaid leave while quarantining due to exposure or infection – we must do better by them. When we are facing this type of emergency in our state and country, we need to take care of the people who are being asked to step up and take care of the public.”

The committee yesterday also advanced Substitute Senate Bill 5333, which would prohibit clauses in a public-works contract from waiving, releasing, or extinguishing the rights of a contractor to damages or an equitable adjustment arising out of a delay in performance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic emergency proclamations.

Holy introduced the bill after listening to concerns mentioned by the Associated General Contractors about challenges caused by the pandemic that have faced contractors.

“The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed the conditions under which many contracts had reached agreement, including a lack of availability of materials,” said Holy. “Mandates requiring social distancing, additional cleaning, handwashing, and personal-protection equipment have slowed projects and increased costs. Contractors are responsible for many of these increased costs. This bill provides flexibility so a contractor can adjust to a situation none of us has ever experienced before.”

SSB 5333 has been sent to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for more consideration.

Holy statement on Senate passage of measure extending Inslee emergency orders

Sen. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney, issued the following statement regarding the Senate’s passage today of Senate Concurrent Resolution 8402, which extends many of Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic:

“SCR 8402 extends 26 of the governor’s current proclamations indefinitely. Over the last 10 months, we have had to explain to constituents, damaged business owners and those negatively affected by the governor’s shutdowns that, even though there was no special session, once we got into regular session lawmakers would represent their best interest and attempt to resolve their issues through the regular legislative process. I’m so disappointed that with a single vote today, the Senate abdicated its authority and responsibility as an equal branch of government. The majority’s decision lets those constituents down and denies them the representative government they have waited so long to see.”

SCR 8402 passed along party lines, 28-19.

Mass release of convicted felons violates state constitution, Senate Republicans warn

Republicans ask Inslee to rethink plan – improper release of more than 1,100 inmates makes state liable for new crimes

To see a copy of this letter, click here.

Senate Republicans today formally asked Gov. Jay Inslee to rethink his plan to deal with the coronavirus crisis by releasing 1,167 prison inmates onto the streets. For one thing, they point out that it’s illegal.

Inslee is responding to a state Supreme Court order that the state take “all necessary steps” to protect prison inmates from the spread of COVID-19. The court didn’t tell Inslee how to do it, however, and the mass release of prisoners is the governor’s idea.

With a formal letter to the governor Friday, Senate Republicans are alerting the governor’s office that the plan violates the state constitution. They warn that the state could be on the hook for any new crimes committed by inmates who are improperly released. They also note that the state has other options that do not threaten public safety. The letter was signed by all 21 members of the Senate Republican Caucus.

“The governor’s office is trying to tell us this public health emergency requires us to throw open the doors of our state prisons,” said Sen. Jeff Holy, R-Spokane, a retired law enforcement officer and attorney. “Of course it doesn’t. In fact, the constitution forbids it.

“The governor’s office no doubt overlooked this constitutional problem when it decided a mass release of convicted felons was a good idea. That’s why we thought it would be helpful to remind the governor of this issue. The governor’s office needs to be aware that the plan violates state law, and that Washington taxpayers could face millions of dollars in liability for new crimes committed by felons who should have been behind bars.”

The letter notes that Inslee is planning to release prisoners without notifying crime victims or their families, meaning that they will have no opportunity to protest. This violates a provision of the Washington constitution passed by an overwhelming 78 percent vote of the people in 1989. Article I, Section 35 of the constitution, known as the “Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights,” requires that crime victims be notified of every proceeding relevant to their case, and that they be given the opportunity to speak when inmate releases are considered.

The letter asks Inslee to explain the legal authority under which he proposes to ignore the requirements of the Washington Constitution.

It also observes that the state has other options that do not require the release of prison inmates. These include the expansion of work-release programs, the use of portable facilities, and the transfer of prisoners to the Maple Lane facility in Thurston County. Maple Lane is particularly well-suited for isolation and quarantine, because it has the capacity, and because Corrections’ central pharmacy is located at the site.

Under ordinary circumstances, a third of inmates are arrested for new felonies within three years of their release from prison. The state already has learned the hard way that it is liable for new crimes committed by felons who are improperly released. In 2015, the inadvertent release of some 3,000 prisoners due to a programming error led to two deaths, numerous other violent crimes, and millions of dollars of lawsuits from crime victims and their families. The letter notes that the earlier releases were accidental. “In this case, the releases will be deliberate, and the state’s responsibility for any new crimes is all the more clear.”

Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, ranking member on the Senate Law and Justice Committee, said Republicans recognize Inslee’s office is under pressure to do something to address concerns about coronavirus in the state’s prison system. “We have many ways to deal with this problem that do not require us to turn inmates loose,” Padden said. “Unfortunately, many in Olympia are pursuing an agenda to relax our laws, shorten sentences and release inmates before their time is up. So these better options are being ignored.

“We appreciate the challenges the governor’s office has faced in dealing with the coronavirus crisis. But we shouldn’t use it as an excuse to turn more than a thousand criminals onto the streets, ignore the state constitution, and create an even more difficult situation for the more than 7 million Washington residents who respect our laws.”