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Home My WebLink AboutCorrespondence - BOCC (002)February 27, 2019 Dear Legislators: GRANT COUNTY OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS P 0 Box 37 EPHRATA WA 98823 (509) 754-2011 The Grant County Board of Commissioners write in opposition of HB 1135 and SB 5163 concerning actions for wrongful injury or death. We believe this is costly and unfair and disrupts the balance of holding at -fault parties accountable through appropriate fines and licensing restrictions, not by passing dramatic cost increases along to taxpayers, employers, patients, ratepayers and consumers. We encourage the legislature to vote no on these initiatives. Sincerely, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS �A Tom Taylor, hair Cindy Cat r Richard Stevens :bjv Richard Stevens Tom Taylor Cindy Carter District 1 District 2 District 3 "To MEET CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS, SERVING TOGETHER WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES, WHILE FOSTERING A RESPECTFUL AND SUCCESSFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT." LRC LIABILITY REFORM COALITION The LRC Since 1986, localgoc ernments, health care professionals and employers committed to endinglawsuit abuse. Every wrongful death, by its very nature, is a tragedy — for the victim and the surviving family. Long-established statutes and court -approved case law strike a delicate balance: provide justice and compensation for financially dependent family members affected by the tragedy of wrongful death, but include limits where there is no financial dependence. Hold at - fault parties accountable through appropriate fines and licensing restrictions, not by passing dramatic cost increases along to taxpayers, employers, patients, ratepayers and consumers. That balance is undone by HB 1135 and SB 5163. HB 1135 & SB 5163 are costly and unfair. They: ■ Expose "deep pocket" defendants – especially hospitals, physicians and local governments providing vital services, like health care, schools, transportation and law enforcement – to pay the entire cost of wrongful death awards, even if they are only 1% at fault, under Washington's "joint and several liability" doctrine. ■ Expand who may sue, beyond certain family members. The deceased's estate—which could refer to anyone—may recover damages ■ Further expand who may sue, by eliminating the financial dependency requirement. Create standing to sue, regardless of whether the person can show financial dependence on the deceased. ■ Expand the categories of damages a plaintiff may recover, and place the responsibility of determining the value on juries. How would juries objectively determine the value of "loss of enjoyment of life"? ■ Apply the law retroactively. ■ Ignore previously -enacted medical liability reforms that restored stability to the medical liability market and threaten to worsen the availability of experienced physicians, particularly in Washington's rural health care facilities. Revised 2/6/19 AIA Washington Council Allstate American Council of Engineering Companies American Property Casualty Insurance Assn. Architects and Engineers Legislative Council Associated Builders and Contractors Association of Washington Cities Building Industry Association of Washington CHI Franciscan Health CNA Insurance Farmers Insurance GEICO Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Companies National Assn. of Mutual Insurance Companies Nationwide Insurance Olympic Medical Center PEMCO Insurance Pharmaceutical Researchers & Manufacturers of America Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company State Farm Insurance Company The Doctors Company The Vancouver Clinic Travelers UW Medical Center Virginia Mason Medical Center Washington Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons Washington Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics Washington Cities Insurance Authority Washington Construction Industry Council Washington Counties Risk Pool Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Washington State Association of Counties Washington State Hospital Association Washington State Medical Association Washington Osteopathic Medical Association Washington State Psychiatric Association Washington State Society of Anesthesiologists Washington State Radiological Society Washington State Trucking Associations Revised 1/31 0 o k U On March 1, 2019 Senator David Frockt, Capital Budget Lead Senator Mark Mullet, Capital Budget Cabinet Senator Jim Honeyford, Assistant Minority Ranking Capital Senate Ways & Means Committee 311 J.A. Cherberg Bldg. Olympia, WA 98504-0600 Representative Steve Tharinger, Chair Representative Richard DeBolt, Ranking Minority Member House Capital Budget Committee 236A John L. O'Brien Olympia, WA 98504-0600 Subject: Support full funding of Office of Columbia River's FY2019-21 Capital Budget Capital Budget Leaders: We respectfully request that you consider fully funding the OCR FY2019-21 Capital Budget request of $40.0 million to support dozens of water supply projects in Eastern Washington, many that are in progress and have, or soon will, secure matching federal and local funds. In 2006, the State Legislature created the Columbia River Basin Development Account to fund and support the Office of Columbia River (OCR) which it provided six directives: 1. Find sources of water for pending water -right applications. 2. Develop water sources for new municipal, domestic, industrial, and irrigation needs. 3. Issue water supply and demand reports. 4. Secure alternatives to groundwater for agricultural users in the Odessa Subarea. 5. Find a new uninterruptible supply of water for those whose rights are curtailed on the Columbia mainstem when minimum flows are forecast to be unmet. 6. Make water available for instream benefits when needed most. The legislature determined that a key priority of water resource management in the Columbia River Basin was the development of new water supplies that includes storage and conservation in order to meet the economic and community development needs of people and the instream flow needs of fish. A critical component of project efficiency and success is timely financing. The program has been successful in working with stakeholders on projects that often reduce decades of conflict over how to provide opportunities for new water use in the Columbia River Basin. OCR can set conflicts aside by providing water for all - fish, farms, and communities. OCR Coalition letter to Capital Budget Leaders Page 2 The FY2019-21 projects proposed for funding have been vetted by the Columbia River Policy Advisory Group and local stakeholders, and reflect years of planning and coordination, so often required to build consensus on project scope and components, necessary to permit, construct and implement 21St Century water supply solutions. As entities who have been working with OCR in developing water supply solutions in the Columbia River Basin, we respectfully urge you to consider full funding of the agency's proposed capital budget and this investment in developing new water supplies, a long-standing critical state and local objective. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Sincerely, Past./ Mayor Paul Worley Mayor Brent Gerry City of Quincy City of West Richland Chair Rob Coffman Anthony D. Jantzer Lincoln County BOCC Secretary Manager Icicle & Peshastin Irrigation Districts Vice Chair Roger Hartwig Chair Tom raylor Adams County BOCC Grant County BOCC Chair Davicuter Chair Wes McCart Klickitat County BOCC Stevens County BOCC Chair Todd Kimball Walla Walla County BOCC EMU Mayor Matt Watkins City of Pasco hair Kevin Overbay Chelan County BOCC Q��O,a_ Chair Pro Tem Brad Peck Franklin County BOCC 'PaaaL �t-- Renee M. Hadley District Manager Walla Walla County Conservation District Mayor Robert J. Thoriipson City of Richland Jerry T. Gingrich From: Scott A Cave <sccomm@sosmail.us> Sent: Saturday, March 2, 2019 11:09 AM To: Wes L. McCart; Brent Gerry; TroyB@bentonrea.org; Tim Snead; 'Roger Hartwig'; 'Pat Dunn'; 'Josh Weiss'; 'Brian Enslow'; 'Mara Machulsky'; Paul Worley; mpatterson@co.lincoln.wa.us; Rob Coffman; 'Walla Walla County Commissioners'; kmilham@co.franklin.wa.us; tony.iid.pid@nwi.net; mike.kaputa@co.chelan.wa.us; Commissioners@stevenscountywa.gov; 'Renee Hadley'; bocc@klickitatcounty.org; Lee Snell; 'Jim Johnson'; 'Jim Potts'; Barbara Vasquez, Jerry T. Gingrich; acalambokidis@gmail.com; bharty@ci.richland.wa.us; Arbaugh, David; kevin.overbay@co.chelan.wa.us; cathy.mulhall@co.chelan.wa.us; 'Laura Camacho'; 'Paul Jewell'; 'Ariel Belino'; Patricia Phillips Subject: OCR Coalition Support letter Attachments: OCR Coalition Letter FINAL.pdf, OCR 2019-21 Cap Budget request Dec 13 2018.pdf Good morning OCR Coalition Members! We did it — I hand delivered the attached 'OCR Coalition' letter on Friday, March 11t to Capital Budget leaders! Everyone on this message played a role and helped make this happen, and I'm grateful for your individual efforts and timely coordination. THANK YOU! Also attached for your use is the OCR FY2019-2021 Capital Budget request presentation from Dec. 13th 2018. I hope coalition members will use this momentum to publicize the issue locally and to follow-up with your legislators and key members of the House Capital Budget Committee and Senate Ways & Means Committee to reinforce our message —that fully funding OCR will allow the state and its local partners to continue to make meaningful progress on developing well -vetted Columbia Basin water supply solutions. Let me know if you have any questions or if I can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Scott Cave S.C. Communications (360) 789-2772 Office of Columbia River 19-21 Capital Budget Request Columbia River Policy Advisory Group Direr_tor_ C *]II:t-M[=•1• ECOLC OCR 19-21 Capital Budget Request Staffing & Facilitation (OCR, DFW) $5.5 million $4.7 million,, j a� $4.1 million Water Service Contracts, Leases, acquisitions $3.0 milli( 1L $40 million. State Investments in Odessa Ground � Water Replacement Program Potholes Supplemental $13.5 million $1.1 million Feedroute Odessa Special Study & EIS Mitigation $14 million $0.5 million Pump Station & Delivery $5 million $0 Systems 0 Yakima Basin Integ Plated Plan 2019 m 2021 Capital Budget w Conclusions • OCRs 19-21 capital budget proposal = $40 million • YBIPs 19-21 capital budget proposal = $42 million • YRBWEP 19-21 capital budget proposal = $5 million • Governor's budget expected to be released today (Dec 13, 2018). R r Questions Discussion