OLYMPIA, Wash. — Abortion rights and new gun laws will face long debates in the upcoming legislative session, but lawmakers from both parties appear to have found common ground on a less-controversial topic: finding ways to boost hiring.
During a preview with members of the press Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee, party leaders, and budget-writers, legislators from both parties said the state needs to do more to place citizens in unfilled jobs that are seeing shortages like teaching, nursing and law enforcement.
Speaker of the House, Democratic Rep. Laurie Jinkins, said the state should explore reducing the number of field hours a social worker with a master’s degree needs to qualify for work.
"You’ve had 2,000 hours of supervised training with patients during that and then you pass a national exam and then we require an additional 4,000 hours, which is two years, and we require you to pay for it?,” said Jinkins.
Jinkins also said she supports a bill to allow someone to get a teaching job without a master’s degree.
Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, said she would like to make it easier for out-of-state nurses to immediately fill positions in Washington health care facilities, without needing a special license.
”We have the ability to make sure they’re qualified,” said Wilson, “If they’ve been practicing in another state for 25 years they certainly should be qualified to practice in Washington state.”
Rep. Drew Stokesbary, a Republican from south King County, said he would like to use state funding for cities and counties to recruit new police officers, as well as retaining current officers.
He said recent changes to police policies has caused a drop in those interested in working in law enforcement.
“That’s part of what’s fueling the problem, is that too many officers are leaving the profession because some of these other policy decisions are being made.”
The legislative session begins at noon, Monday, January 9.