Rep. Kochmar passes first two bills of session
The state House of Representatives passed legislation this week sponsored by Rep. Linda Kochmar, R-Federal Way.
House Bill 1279 would allow Federal Way to create a local tourism promotion area. It permits hoteliers and moteliers to charge up to a $2 fee on lodging and use those funds for the purpose of publicizing and promoting tourism destinations within the designated area.
“Federal Way has a lot to offer, including the Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center, which hosts many Olympic trials and national and international competitions each year,” said Kochmar.
House Bill 1987 will affect a small community of county court marshals who work in King, Snohomish and Thurston counties. Thirty-five of these court marshals work in King County.
According to the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act, uniformed personnel of cities, counties and other municipalities may seek interest arbitration if negotiations for a contract cannot be resolved through mediation. Currently, county court marshals do not fall under the definition of “uniformed personnel.”
“Under current law, county court marshals are not afforded some of the same opportunities as some personnel belonging to larger unions in our state,” Kochmar said. “These court marshals provide important safety services to courthouse employees and the public, and they deserve to be given a fair playing field in labor discussions.”
Current uniformed personnel who are provided interest arbitration provisions include, among others: firefighters, law enforcement officers in larger cities and counties, correctional employees, and publicly employed advanced life support technicians.
The bills now advance to the state Senate for further consideration.
