News & Stories
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Join EOI Policy Director Marilyn Watkins, Sen. Karen Keiser, Rep. Tana Senn, Rep. June Robinson, and local women business leaders for a spirited and informative discussion about women’s economic security in Washington state. Washington Policy Watch is a series of salon-style events designed to promote public dialogue about important policy issues facing our state. Our […]
On Friday, Oregon’s state House passed a bill that would require most employers to offer five days of paid sick leave to their employees. If the governor signs it into law as advocates believe she will, it will be the fourth state in the country with such a requirement. Oregon’s bill applies to businesses with […]
Father’s Day generates less sentimental gushing than Mother’s Day. But as this Father’s Day approaches, I’m reminded that just as struggling moms need fair pay and paid family leave a lot more than flowers, fathers need these policies, too –more than a new tie or camping toaster. My friend, Gabriela, has spent most of the […]
Ed. Note: Legislation creating Washington’s Small Business Retirement Marketplace was developed and supported via collaboration between the Economic Opportunity Institute, AARP Washington, Small Business Majority, and state legislators. A growing number of state legislatures are trying to solve the nation’s retirement savings crisis. Last week, Washington state became the second state in the nation—after Illinois—to authorize […]
What: Washington Policy Watch: 2015 Legislative Session – Retirement Security When: Tuesday, June 9, 2015: 5:30 – 7:00 pm Where: Lloyd Building, 603 Stewart Street, Suite 420, Seattle, WA 98101 Cost: Free, donations accepted RSVP: Required, register here Join EOI Senior Policy Associate Gary Burris and Sen. Mark Mullet and Rep. Larry Springer, co-sponsors of the Washington Small Business […]
It’s an ode to cognitive dissonance when pundits come out swinging (rhetorically) against a strong minimum wage or decent pensions for everyday working people but don’t even bat an eyelash at big-time CEOs who take home millions of dollars a year or outsource local jobs — especially when the economic evidence for the former, and […]
On May 18, 2015, Washington became the 4th state to enact a law to provide private sector workers with new options for retirement savings. These state efforts continue to gain significant momentum. Illinois enacted its Secure Choice retirement savings plan in January 2015, joining Massachusetts and California already working on implementing their own distinct programs. Utah and […]
Rebecca Valley, a new mom who works as an Administrative Assistant in Everett, is calling on Governor Jay Inslee to fund paid maternity leave. When she gave birth 11 months ago to her daughter Matilda, Rebecca planned to use her three weeks of paid time off to care for her newborn. She ended up needing […]
Washington Policy Watch: Retirement Security What happened, what it means – and what’s next Sometimes it’s hard to “read between the headlines” and really make sense of what’s going on in Olympia. Did we make progress – why? Does next year look any different? And most importantly, what can we do now to keep the issues […]
Investing in our our transportation infrastructure – especially public transit – helps our whole community thrive. Failing to invest strangles opportunity and amplifies economic inequality. It’s time for Washington’s legislature to act boldly! – Marilyn Watkins, EOI Policy Director Light rail is our best option to meet population boom By Bill Finkbeiner, The Seattle Times, […]
The stalemate in Olympia over Washington state’s budget represents an ideological divide that won’t be overcome by negotiators sitting long enough in a room together. And unfortunately, neither side has proposed a budget and revenue package that would actually fully fund the educational opportunity and services families need in today’s economy. Republicans who control the […]
When you think about retirement, you can imagine a life in which you are freed from decades of work, having to put up with a bad boss or difficult co-workers, able to take your time waking up in the morning and go for a walk, a bicycle ride, garden, or just talk to your neighbors […]
Terri did everything right. She and her husband raised three great children – now mostly grown. She was a loyal employee for 14 years and prepared for the future, buying into the short term disability plan her company offered and investing in a 401(k). She even decided it was time to get healthy and lost […]
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington has taken a step toward addressing the retirement savings crisis in the state. Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law on Monday to create an online marketplace where small business owners can choose from low-cost retirement plans offered by financial service companies. The bill was championed by Sen. Mark Mullet […]
Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed bipartisan legislation into law today that will make it easier for thousands of private-sector, small business workers to access retirement savings programs through their employer and have the opportunity to build a financially secure future. The Small Business Retirement Marketplace (SB 5826) will offer employers with fewer than 100 employees […]
What are the elements of a good quality of life? Good, accessible and affordable health care. Being able to pay your bills. Living in a welcoming home. Having a job with a wage that reflects the value of your work. Knowing your kids can get a good education in our public school system, our community […]
We did it! Thanks to you, we exceeded our $20,000 goal during our recent GiveBIG campaign — and that’s before the Seattle Foundation’s “stretch” gift to us. Thank you so much for being a champion for EOI! We could not keep moving forward without YOU! With much gratitude, ~Tatsuko, Janna, Aaron, Gary, Kelli, Gabriela, Emily, […]
We proved them wrong. Today is GiveBIG. Click here to make a gift to EOI. Just a few years ago, having paid sick leave written into law seemed like an impossible dream to many. Congress wouldn’t pass such a bill, and neither would any state legislature. Now — after years of hard work by the Economic Opportunity […]
And now our idea is spreading across the country. There’s still time to give for GiveBIG: click here A little more than two years ago, it seemed no one could see a path out of the crippling ‘high-tuition, high-debt’ model for funding public higher education. So we decided to re-imagine the system. What if students went […]
Moms just can’t get a break these days. Data released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, show that having children is one of the worst career moves a woman could make. According to their research, mothers in Washington are 44% less likely to be hired than non-mothers for the same job, and are paid […]
Last month, I heard a new expression — corporatist agenda. The context was the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. TPP is a huge new NAFTA-style trade deal involving 12 countries around the Pacific, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Australia and others. The expression “corporatist agenda” was used by a high-ranking White House figure, who […]
The Legislature is at loggerheads, with the Democrat-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate far apart in their proposed budgets. Neither party has a long-term plan for fully funding K-12 education, higher education, mental health, public employee contracts and teacher cost-of-living adjustments. Why not? Because neither party has the will to implement systemic changes in our […]