Issue Position: Creating Jobs and Safeguarding Businesses

Issue Position

It is imperative that Washington remains a place that fosters, attracts and retains businesses. Randy supported such efforts, providing funding and incentives for our state's businesses and growing our workforce. These included:

* Generating thousands of construction jobs for energy savings and restoration work at our public schools, colleges, and buildings by co-sponsoring legislation that authorized bonds to fund these projects. (SB 6547, passed as HB 3205)
* Creating real family-wage jobs by supporting an 18-month tax credit for small businesses that enabled firms to receive up to $4,000 in tax credits for each new hire. (SB 5899)
* Identifying critical infrastructure and safety projects across the state that in this competitive bidding climate are capable of both employing 18,000 people and saving taxpayer dollars.
* Voting for the Capital Budget that provides funding for shovel-ready construction projects. This will result in an additional 7,000 jobs statewide.
* Backing a Small Business Export Finance Assistance Center that assists small- and medium-sized exporters, providing loans and guarantees for firms with annual sales under $200 million. (SB 6679)
* Co-sponsoring legislation making local revitalization funds available for infrastructure projects in our communities. (SB 6609)
* Helping secure more than $11.3 million dollars in state funding for the 41st district projects including playground equipment for Newcastle's Lake Boren Park; $800,000 for the new Coal Creek YMCA; more than $7 million for repairs and construction at Bellevue College and Renton Technical College; and over $2 million for Bellevue's new Performing Arts Center Eastside.

Source