If Washington is a nanny state, so be it. These four new state laws show 2020 foresight
Beginning Jan. 1, four new laws go into effect across the state that should go a long way toward making life better for many Washingtonians. Critics might call them nanny-state laws. We call them common sense.
Minimum wage earners begin the new year with a raise. Thanks to a 2016 voter-approved ballot initiative, the state wage floor will continue its steady rise, going from $12 an hour to $13.50.
Since a minimum wage was instituted in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, finding a sweet spot has been a challenge. Raise wages too much, and growth and entrepreneurship are curtailed. Let them stagnate, and the inequality gap widens.
The new minimum wage won’t fix poverty or the housing affordability crisis, but for workers in urban areas the added dollars will make a difference. Tacoma led the way by gradually raising its wage floor after a 2015 voter-approved measure; 2020 marks the first year the statewide rate will surpass (and replace) Tacoma’s.
Seattle’s wage remains one of the highest in the country, but it also has employers with deep pockets. Large employers pay $16 per hour, all others $15. Seattle absorbed the wage hike well, but the same might not be said for rural areas.
We’ll find out if this statewide experiment works, but we’re prepared for growing pains.
At least the higher minimum wage should keep a family of three above the federal poverty line, though not by much. Beginning Jan. 1, an employee working 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year could yield about $28,000 annually.
Should they need sick leave, a new Paid Family & Medical Leave program could save low-wage workers from financial disaster. Eligible workers can now accrue 12-18 weeks of paid leave.
There are caveats: Businesses with fewer than 50 employees aren’t required to hold jobs during an absence, and employees must have worked more than 1,250 hours in the year they take leave.
But If an employee experiences a life-altering event like the birth or adoption of a child, or a family member’s serious health issue, they could receive up to 90 percent of their weekly pay, up to $1,000 per week.
Speaking of health, Washington just became the ninth state to raise the legal sales age for tobacco and vapor products from 18 to 21.
Lawmakers have flirted with raising the age limit for years, but prompted by staggering statistics and national momentum, they finally saw the light in 2019.
For too long the tobacco industry has preyed on our kids. According to the 2018 state Healthy Youth Survey, 30 percent of 12th graders reported using e-cigarettes, a 10 percentage-point rise in just two years. The vast majority of those kids got nicotine products from 18-year olds.
Raising the minimum age will make it harder for young people to get these dangerous products. As Washington Secretary of Health John Wiesman said, the new law “will keep our youth free of nicotine addiction and save lives.”
Saving lives is also why the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission advocated for changes in car seat rules. Drivers can be ticketed if children aren’t properly secured under terms of the updated law, which aligns with recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Children up to 2 years old must be in a rear-facing seat. Kids 2-4 years or under 4 feet 9 inches tall must be in a booster seat with a seat belt or harness. All children under age 13 must ride in the back seat with a seat belt.
Crashes are the leading cause of death for children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and providing greater protection was a clear-eyed decision by state lawmakers.
Taken together, these four state laws will bring an extra measure of dignity and safety to thousands of Washingtonians. Consider it an example of 2020 foresight.