New minimum wage hikes implemented on January 1, 2021 (Washington State Wire)
Washington’s minimum wage increased by 19 cents on January 1st, bringing the new total to $13.69. The hike also translates to an increase in Seattle’s minimum wage to $16.69 an hour and SeaTac’s to $16.57.
Salary thresholds for exempt employees also changed in 2021. That means salaried executive, administrative and professional workers, and computer professionals must perform specific duties and earn a salary above a specified amount to remain overtime exempt.
Employees of small businesses (50 or fewer employees) must earn “a salary of at least 1.5 times the minimum wage, or $821.40 a week ($42,712.80/year).”
Employees of large businesses (51 or more employees) “must earn a salary of at least 1.75 times the minimum wage, or $958.30 a week ($49,831.60/year).”
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Inslee extends shutdowns – again (Washington State Wire)
Jay Inslee announced an extension of his latest shutdowns by one-week. His restrictions will remain in place with no changes. That includes bans on indoor dining and gatherings.
Fitness facilities and gyms must remain closed for indoor operations. Retail stores must limit occupancy to 25%, and “any common or congregate non-food related seating areas must be closed.”
The ban was initially set to expire on December 14. On December 8, Inslee extended the ban to January 4. His latest order pushes the expiration out to January 11.
Washington’s businesses are undeniably suffering – a survey released last month found _more than 2000 restaurants closed for good_ across the state since March 2020.
Is this suppose to be fun?
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Inslee extends ban on evictions to March 31st (KHQ-Q6)
Jay Inslee announced an extension on the statewide eviction moratorium set to expire on December 31. The extension includes “adjustments to provide additional support for landlords and property owners.”
Particularly, the adjustments extend state rental assistance to include newly approved federal funding for assistance programs.
Goals for the rental assistance programs have “also been modified for landlords, property owners, and property managers to apply for rental assistance.”
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COVID Vaccines arriving in Washington state are not being administered (MSN)
Probably the most damming critique of Inslee's governorship is his failure to see to the administration the 174,000 doses the state Department of Health has already received. (Washington State Department of Heath).
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Inslee’s transportation plan “out-of-touch” (Washington Policy Center)
Governor wants to delay critical projects, while funding electric ferries and high-speed rail
Jay Inslee’s new funding proposal includes “$400 million per biennium to support preserving our state roads, railways, ferries and bridges.”
As the Washington Policy Center puts it, state officials are “spending more money to sustain underutilized modes of transport like transit and rail, or funding luxury “green” electrification projects.”
That’s the opposite of what they should be doing – which is prioritizing “making our roads and bridges more resilient and reliable for people who increasingly depend on private automobiles for travel.”
Responding to the list of green transportation projects Inslee would like to fund, State Representative Andrew Barkis, ranking GOP member on the House Transportation Committee, called the plan “out-of-touch with what the people of Washington state can financially afford right now.”
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