2015 GSBA Legislative Agenda

This list of priorities was created through several months of work in the Public Policy Task Force and Policy Council, drawing on input from the membership, including recent surveys and talking with the Small Business Council. The GSBA Board of Directors gave final approval of the 2015 Legislative Agenda at the January 7, 2015 meeting. The Legislative Agenda will serve as a guideline for the organization’s policy and advocacy work. GSBA will not endorse any specific legislation without first completing the Board-approved vetting process.

Civil Rights
Equality and access under the law for all persons.
As an organization founded by and for members of the LGBT community civil rights and equality for all will always be the top priority in our advocacy efforts. Like other marginalized communities ours has been and still is denied rights and responsibilities granted to the general populous.

Here in the Washington State we have some of the strongest protections for the LGBT community. But we still face hurdles because of who we are, especially the trans community. Even as we have successfully passed antidiscrimination and marriage equality laws, there remain groups who try to weaken or circumvent those vital protections.

GSBA will advocate to:

• End legalized discrimination against trans people in all arenas, especially in healthcare.
• Pass an inclusive federal ENDA without broad exemptions.
• Oppose all broad religious exemptions laws.
• Safety for all communities throughout Seattle.
• Ban “conversion” therapy.
• Defend the right of all people to have control over their own bodies, including a woman’s right to choose.
• Increase funding and support of LGBT homeless youth & seniors.

Economic Prosperity
A vibrant economy strengthened through the full participation and collaboration of diverse local communities.
As a chamber of commerce, a robust economy is a fundamental value of GSBA’s mission. The health and wellbeing of a community is dependent upon local economic support and funding for local projects from city, county, state and federal resources. While both businesses and communities must adapt to the changing global economy, our success and sustainability begin at a grassroots level – at home.

GSBA will advocate to:

• Increase funding of LGBT tourism.
• Promote recognition of LGBT business enterprise certification in supplier diversity.
• Advocate for public agencies to add LGBTBE certification to existing women and minority certifications.
• Encourage smart, data-driven regulation that take the realities of small business into account.
• Coordinate and streamline regulations across administrative scales.
• Advocate for systematic, progressive tax reform.
• Support strong public transportation initiatives, including a state transportation package.
• Pass the Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity (CROP) bill.

Education for All
Invest in future leaders.
Education is the foundation for strong, vibrant and diverse communities. Establishing criteria that achieves excellence in education is key to create and maintain educated workforces, to attract the best and brightest to our state, to foster innovation and to nurture our future leaders. A highly educated workforce generates and grows local business enterprises and in turn leads to higher wages and standards of living. Excellence in education cannot be achieved by simply funding programs. Schools must also provide healthy and safe environments for their students in order for them to learn and thrive.

GSBA will advocate for:

• Adequate and stable funding for public education at all levels.
• Meeting the obligations of the McCleary decision.
• Post-secondary tuition stabilization.
• Anti-bullying legislation and enforcement.
• The federal DREAM Act.

GSBA and the Minimum Wage

As a chamber for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and those who support equality for all, the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) has always supported equality in the workplace and is one of the only chambers to include social justice in its mission. GSBA agrees that everyone should earn a decent wage. Given the challenges faced by small business, it is important that any changes in the minimum wage be done responsibly. The Board of Directors of GSBA has passed a resolution stating that any increase in the minimum wage must include total compensation and be phased in.

GSBA took the lead in convening, coordinating and analyzing a survey with an informal group of over a dozen neighborhood business organizations.

Respondent Profile:

• 127 GSBA members
• 84% have 10 or fewer employees, 53% have 4 or less
• Most common sectors:  professional services (36%); retail, food and beverage (28%); and healthcare (13%)

GSBA members were much more likely to agree or strongly agree that income inequality in a problem in Seattle, with only 20% disagreeing with the premise. However, just 41% believe that raising the minimum wage will actually reduce inequality. Respondents generally agreed that there were other avenues to consider when addressing issues of affordability, namely supply of and access to affordable housing, childcare assistance and healthcare assistance:

What are the potential impacts of a $15 minimum wage?  Common responses include recognizing the need to do more for those workers earning the least, as well as deep concerns about a hasty implementation of a large, across-the-board increase in the minimum wage. 56% of GSBA members surveyed estimate that their operational costs will increase more than 6%, with 20% estimating an increase greater than 20%.

How would an immediate, across-the-board increase in the minimum wage to $15/hour impact your business? 

Members have expressed concerns that, for $15/hour, they would have to favor more experienced and self-sufficient job candidates and would no longer be able to afford to spend as much time training inexperienced employees just entering the workforce, while at the same time being unable to maintain current staffing levels. An increase in costs would be passed on to consumers, in many cases. Many members commented that they would be less likely to expand their businesses in Seattle, less likely to start a brand new business in Seattle, and more likely to close a Seattle location:

With a $15/hour minimum wage I would be significantly less likely to hire people who needed a start in the workplace or a chance to prove themselves and build their resumes. Until now I have hired most of my workers based on potential, helping them build their skills and resumes so that they can grow into higher wage earnings. At $15/hour I would expect a much higher level of competency and efficiency and would not put additional resources into training and development (as I do now).

I already pay more than the minimum wage in a competitive industry. I was about to expand in West Seattle but with talk of the $15 minimum wage I would have to raise my prices to a point I do not think clients would pay. Some small business service industries do not have a career path with any high earning potential. The job is the reward and is enjoyable. I have decided to expand in Auburn, Federal Way, Kent and Renton... My margin is too narrow. Like many small businesses. I do pay my staff as much as possible.

Other respondents were supportive of the idea of raising the minimum wage, but acknowledged that it is a complex issue and significant effort needs to be put in to get it right:

An increase in the minimum wage is only one part of the solution. The problem is complicated and will need multiple approaches to resolve. I strongly support an increased minimum wage. I do not know if $15.00 is the right number. I tend to think a higher number will do more to help working families survive in Seattle.

An increase, NOW, I think is essential. The question is, how high, and what follows. An immediate increase of the magnitude being proposed would be irresponsible, and would have an overall negative impact on employment and the economy-- in other words, it would end up hurting the majority of the people it's intended to help.

For those businesses who responded than an increase in the minimum wage would have little-to-no impact on their own work, many understood the broader impact it would have in the city:

The only reason I don't have anyone working for me for less than $15/hour right now is that I have very specialized and trained assistance at my business and I have fewer employees at fewer hours than I would ultimately like because I value their knowledge and would never pay them less than that. However, were I in a position to hire younger workers at a more entry level position, I would never be able to afford to create more jobs if the minimum starting wage was $15.

Regarding potential legislation on the minimum wage, 84% agree that total compensation should be taken into account. The additional compensation and benefits that employees receive most often include healthcare (67%), bonus (58%), retirement benefits (34%) and tips and commissions (31%). Furthermore, 67% of GSBA members want any increase to be phased in over 3 years or longer, with an additional 9% writing in that they prefer no implementation at all. Only 10% support an immediate implementation. There is no consensus over exemptions for any kind of business or organization.

In addition to the survey, GSBA has been meeting with elected officials including several City Councilmembers, members of the Mayor’s income inequality advisory committee, numerous small business groups and other gatherings around the city. GSBA will continue to advocate on behalf of its members, sharing the stories collected as well as providing hard data.

GSBA is committed to the idea that much more needs to be done to address issues of affordability in Seattle, as well as ensuring that big changes are made in a responsible manner to keep the lights on in our community businesses.

GSBA Urges Voters to Reject I-517

The Board of Directors of the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) has unanimously voted to oppose Initiative 517.
                                
GSBA is opposing I-517, the Tim Eyman initiative on initiatives that would allow signature gatherers unfettered access onto private property such as store entrances, arenas and business reception areas and limit the right of the private property owners to ask them to leave. The initiative creates a 25 foot buffer zone for signature gathers. The initiative would also create a new disorderly conduct misdemeanor offense for harassing signature gatherers, despite laws already on the books.

I-517 would additionally guarantee that any local or state ballot measure receiving the requisite number of signatures would automatically be placed on the ballot, regardless of a measure’s constitutionality or validity.  Any court challenge would have to wait until after the election and enactment of the measure. This would increase the expense to Washington State taxpayers by forcing unnecessary elections on unconstitutional or otherwise invalid measures.

GSBA reviewed I-517 through our member-led Public Policy Task Force at its October 21st meeting, which included a discussion and NO recommendation to the Board of Directors.

Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility

GSBA members, Board and staff joined 1,200 people for the kick-off event for Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations working together to forge common sense solutions to reduce gun violence. The luncheon, which raised over $800,000 (and counting!), marked the start of a campaign to pursue an initiative to ensure universal background checks for gun sales in Washington State. GSBA membership overwhelmingly - 95% in a February policy survey - supports the enacting of universal background checks.


On the one-year anniversary of the horrific Cafe Racer shooting, GSBA stands firm in our conviction that more must be done to ensure that our communities and our places of business are safe. We hope that our elected officials will come together to pass common sense reforms to help reduce gun violence. GSBA is proud to serve on the organizing committee of the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility and we urge our members to contact their state representatives and senators to express their support for common sense legislation, and to thank those who have supported these initiatives. We especially thank Tina Podlodowksi and campaign manager Zach Silk (former manager of the Washington United for Marriage campaign) for asking GSBA to join the coalition.