Washington state lawmakers look at loosening occupational licensing laws by Tim Gruver, The Center Square | February 10, 2021 12:00 PM Print this article
The COVID-19 pandemic has made finding a job harder than ever, and Washington lawmakers are once again debating how to lower the costs of being licensed for one.
The National Council on State Legislatures reports roughly a quarter of the U.S. workforce was licensed to do a job in 2015, compared to just 5% in the 1950s.
Washington s Department of Licensing (DOL) regulates professions ranging from architects and cosmetologists to real estate brokers and bus drivers. Licensing requirements vary by industry and involve everything from college-level coursework to a simple exam and come at the cost of thousands in fees.
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Rep. Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver, reintroduced a bill last week that would establish a $7,000-per-child grant program for families who homeschool or send their children to private school.
The fund would be called the K-12 Education Scholarship Program. Her bill has since been referred to the House Education Committee.
“We’ve seen how students have been affected this past year from a lack of education choices. Students should be allowed to be in a learning environment that works for them,” Kraft said in a media release announcing her bill.
On the opening day of Washington’s 2021 legislative session, lawmakers in both the House and the Senate devoted their time to establishing the rules that will dictate an unprecedented amount of remote work in the coming months.
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Pandemic’s ongoing impact leads discussion at Legislative Outlook event in Vancouver
Southwest Washington lawmakers talk about challenges COVID-19 will add to session
Published: December 12, 2020, 6:00am
Share: The state Capitol in Olympia is seen on March 12, the last day of the 2020 legislative session. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte)
Washington’s upcoming legislative session is likely to be dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will shape discussions on topics ranging from health care and child care to infrastructure and small business support.
That was the main takeaway from Friday’s annual Legislative Outlook event, hosted by the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia River Economic Development Council and Identity Clark County. Lawmakers from Washington’s 17th, 18th and 49th legislative districts signed on to discuss their plans for the session, which begins Jan. 11.