News & Stories
Policy is personal. So, we want to share more than just data.
Stay up to date with our legislative updates, organizational news, media mentions, and more.
One item has gone nearly unmentioned in the media about the repeal of the Affordable Care Act: it would be a massive tax cut for wealthy Americans. “One of the main ways the ACA makes health insurance affordable is by providing families earning less than 400 percent of the poverty line (i.e., less than $85,000 for […]
Listen to a panel discussion and learn about the paid family leave policy that will be considered by state legislators in 2017. Panel guests include Marilyn Watkins of the Economic Opportunity Institute; Rich Fox, President of the Seattle Restaurant Alliance; and Danielle Hulton Co-Owner of Ada’s Technical Bookstore and Cafe. Listen: http://www.spl.org/Audio/16_11_15_Paid_Parental_Leave_Forum.mp3
Washington’s cities are the engines of the state’s economy. But given an uncertain political and economic forecast ahead, what can cities do to stay out of economic peril? Some of our local economies are still struggling to rebound from the downturn — others (like Seattle) can’t seem to build quickly enough to keep up with growth. To […]
The thing about the Affordable Care Act is that if you pull one string, the whole blanket will fall apart…. And there goes health coverage for millions.
SEATTLE – Today the Washington Work and Family Coalition announced their policy proposal for paid family and medical leave in Washington. Under the proposed bills, Washington workers would be able to use extended paid leave for events like the birth of a child, a personal health emergency, or to take care of an ill family […]
What does this initiative do? The first thing it does is show up in minimum wage workers’ pay checks.
It’s time to get bold.
I am a lucky person. My jaw is broken, but that is not why I am lucky. I have good health and dental insurance. So when my jaw was fractured last month, I didn’t have to worry about how I could afford to fix it. Sure, I will pay some significant cost-sharing, but it will […]
I’d like to tell you a story about Evelin – a proud daughter, social worker, and mother of two. A couple of years ago, her family faced a tough decision: Evelin’s father Jose was on the verge of kidney failure and desperately needed surgery. The good news? Jose had good health care. The bad news? […]
Two weeks ago the people of our state voted to raise the minimum wage to $11 an hour in 2017, and eventually $13.50 in 2020. It’s an important step forward — but just one step. And thanks to a judge in Texas, Washington has some more work to do. Strong as it is, our state’s […]
Washington State has made history. On November 8th, people all across the state voted to pass Initiative 1433, which will guarantee access to paid sick days for all workers and increase our state minimum wage to $13.50. The Economic Opportunity Institute helped make paid sick days a winning issue and has been a leading voice for […]
The election last week effectively shut the door on advancing economic opportunity and security for families and workers at the federal level. But that is not the end of the story. The focus for progress now turns from Washington DC to Washington state. We must continue to weave the blanket of economic opportunity which we […]
Our leaders always reference democracy with the founders of our country. That is not true. The founders had a much different vision of power and control, one that did not and still does not comport with democracy. We started our journey as a nation with the Declaration of Independence, in which the founders stated, “We […]
Washington has joined the growing number of states to adopt paid sick and safe leave for all workers with approval of Initiative 1433. Starting in January 2018, everyone working in Washington will be assured at least 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. An estimated one million workers in the state […]
Yep, he tells us the real national embarrassment is not having a racist, sexist, xenophobic candidate as a major party presidential nominee. It’s not our failure to address global warming so our kids might face a ruined planet. No, Robert Samuelson tells us our real national embarrassment is that we have an aging population and, […]
Have you had your ballot on the kitchen counter — for almost two weeks now — and still not opened it up to vote? Or maybe you forgot where you put it? Or maybe you recycled it, and now don’t know where to get your ballot to vote. Or maybe you just want to wait […]
For the past six years of my life I’ve dedicated my professional life to women’s equity issues. I was an instrumental part of a team that helped develop and eventually pass a paid sick days ordinance in Seattle in 2011. Currently, it’s been all about getting a paid family and medical leave bill passed at […]
LONG BEACH, Wash. – Jobs are coming back and incomes are improving across Washington state, but families still are struggling to pay for the basics, according to a new report. The analysis Time for a Raise: Statewide Growth and Washington’s Minimum Wage found many of the jobs in the Evergreen State’s growing economy are low-wage. […]
You got your ballot in the mail. Now what? Vote! Our votes up and down the ballot will help shape our state and nation for decades into the future. Among the many important issues and candidates, Initiative 1433 and the Sound Transit measure allow us to directly boost economic opportunity and vitality in our communities. […]
When your ballot arrives later this week, take a pause and before you vote, consider, what does it mean to be an American? As Americans, we are all in this election together. We are in this country, this economy, this culture, and this government together. What is government? It is the comprehensive delivery of services […]