WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.259 So I've got to ask, how much reindeer did you 00:00:02.259 --> 00:00:05.599 eat? I ate a lot of reindeer. Did you leave some 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:08.500 for Santa Claus? I mean, he didn't eat them anymore. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:15.279 It was after Christmas. That's cold. That is 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:20.620 cold, Jamie. Welcome to County Connection. the 00:00:20.620 --> 00:00:22.739 official podcast of the Washington State Association 00:00:22.739 --> 00:00:25.160 of Counties, where we dive into the legislative 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:27.199 issues shaping the future of our communities. 00:00:27.480 --> 00:00:29.660 From budgets to public safety, infrastructure 00:00:29.660 --> 00:00:32.579 to elections, we'll break down what's happening 00:00:32.579 --> 00:00:35.359 in Olympia and how it impacts counties from across 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:38.479 the Evergreen State. Stay informed, stay engaged, 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:41.460 and join us as we amplify the voice of Washington's 00:00:41.460 --> 00:00:47.420 39 counties. Welcome everyone to the County Connection 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:49.880 Podcast. I'm Paul Jewell, the Government Relations 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:52.020 Director for the Washington State Association 00:00:52.020 --> 00:00:56.020 of Counties and your host for the podcast. Welcome 00:00:56.020 --> 00:00:59.079 to 2026. This is our first podcast of the new 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:02.259 year. Hopefully all of you listened to every 00:01:02.259 --> 00:01:04.180 podcast that we had last year. I don't know if 00:01:04.180 --> 00:01:05.739 you saw the notice that went out, but believe 00:01:05.739 --> 00:01:09.840 it or not, we actually recorded 50 podcasts last 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:12.769 year for our first year. Hard to believe we got 00:01:12.769 --> 00:01:15.849 that many done. But now we find ourselves right 00:01:15.849 --> 00:01:18.629 back at the very beginning of the new legislative 00:01:18.629 --> 00:01:23.829 session. It's early January. Jamie Bodden is 00:01:23.829 --> 00:01:28.290 back. Jamie's back, everybody. Say hello. Say 00:01:28.290 --> 00:01:31.609 something to your fans out there, Jamie. Hi, 00:01:31.750 --> 00:01:35.930 Mom. Hi, Dad. Mom and Dad back in Wisconsin. 00:01:35.969 --> 00:01:38.450 Good to be back. Good to see you. Happy session, 00:01:38.609 --> 00:01:40.969 Paul. Happy session to you. I know you're excited 00:01:40.969 --> 00:01:44.709 to be here. I just get that little tingly feeling 00:01:44.709 --> 00:01:47.370 at the beginning of every session. I'm not sure 00:01:47.370 --> 00:01:51.250 if it's terror or excitement, but it's definitely 00:01:51.250 --> 00:01:54.049 adrenaline. Stress. It could be. I think it's 00:01:54.049 --> 00:01:56.390 stress. A little bit of stress. It probably is. 00:01:56.849 --> 00:01:59.790 Speaking of stress, you just got back from a 00:01:59.790 --> 00:02:03.060 hearing. Yes. Yes, we've had a busy first week 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:06.540 of session already and had a hearing this morning 00:02:06.540 --> 00:02:11.680 on Senate Bill 5967. A lot of emotional testimony 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:14.560 in that hearing this morning. Yes, a lot of testimony 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:18.699 from a number of doctors, particularly pediatricians, 00:02:18.699 --> 00:02:20.719 around the importance of preventive services 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:24.500 and just preserving our ability in Washington 00:02:24.500 --> 00:02:27.580 State to access them and also pay for them through 00:02:27.580 --> 00:02:30.039 health insurance. Yeah, so an important bill 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:32.580 this session? Yes, a very important bill this 00:02:32.580 --> 00:02:34.840 session. It's one of WSALFO's priority bills. 00:02:35.180 --> 00:02:39.479 The companion bill, House Bill 2242, is being 00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:41.819 heard tomorrow. What was the Senate one again? 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:46.580 What was the number? 5967. See, and people thought 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:49.139 we were going to have probably our first legislative 00:02:49.139 --> 00:02:51.259 podcast of the year would be a little bit of 00:02:51.259 --> 00:02:52.900 a lead -in, but we're jumping right into the 00:02:52.900 --> 00:02:55.620 heart of the matter. We're giving you meat right 00:02:55.620 --> 00:02:58.180 out of the gate here. Speaking of meat, we were 00:02:58.180 --> 00:02:59.740 just talking about reindeer a little earlier, 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:04.639 We'll leave that for later. What else you got 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:08.449 for us? So that's our big policy bill. This week 00:03:08.449 --> 00:03:11.430 we've also testified in both appropriations and 00:03:11.430 --> 00:03:14.310 ways and means on the governor's budget, particularly 00:03:14.310 --> 00:03:16.389 around foundational public health services funding, 00:03:16.650 --> 00:03:21.870 FPHS. That funding has been a perennial priority 00:03:21.870 --> 00:03:24.409 for WSALFO. It's been a priority for WSAC in 00:03:24.409 --> 00:03:26.750 the past as well. We lost some of that last year, 00:03:26.789 --> 00:03:28.629 right? It's going to be another tough budget 00:03:28.629 --> 00:03:31.270 year this year. If people remember back to our 00:03:31.270 --> 00:03:34.949 podcasts from 2025, that was a lot of what we 00:03:34.949 --> 00:03:36.219 were talking about. about, there was a lot of 00:03:36.219 --> 00:03:38.520 budget discussion. There's always a lot of budget 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:40.819 discussion in the first year of the biennium, 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:42.780 but last year there was a lot more because the 00:03:42.780 --> 00:03:45.879 state found itself in a little bit of an unfamiliar 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:48.500 position compared to the previous years in that 00:03:48.500 --> 00:03:51.719 decade, well, really the last decade, and that 00:03:51.719 --> 00:03:54.319 was in the position of facing some pretty stiff 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:56.860 deficits. And here we are in 2026. They made 00:03:56.860 --> 00:03:59.860 a lot of changes to the budget last year, some 00:03:59.860 --> 00:04:02.139 pretty big tax increases. They're finding themselves 00:04:02.139 --> 00:04:05.979 in another $2 .3 billion deficit. Part of their 00:04:05.979 --> 00:04:08.900 solution last year was to kind of take back some 00:04:08.900 --> 00:04:13.960 of the FPHS or foundational public health. revenue 00:04:13.960 --> 00:04:17.699 gains that we had made in previous years. And 00:04:17.699 --> 00:04:20.199 then are we looking at more cuts this year? Yes. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:23.100 Yeah. The budget situation, you know, I feel 00:04:23.100 --> 00:04:25.079 like last year everybody was like, the budget's 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:28.220 bad. And reality became, yeah, the budget's bad. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:31.079 This year I feel like we're starting in the dark 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:33.860 place in which we ended last year in terms of 00:04:33.860 --> 00:04:36.660 the budget. Like it never quit, right? It never 00:04:36.660 --> 00:04:41.019 quit. It never had. Last year felt like there 00:04:41.019 --> 00:04:44.040 were some glimmers of hope. This year doesn't 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:46.790 necessarily feel. Like that, it's a very different 00:04:46.790 --> 00:04:50.310 tenor. But yes, last year in the state operating 00:04:50.310 --> 00:04:55.189 budget, FPHS was reduced by $24 million or $12 00:04:55.189 --> 00:04:59.470 million each fiscal year. So for the two -year 00:04:59.470 --> 00:05:01.790 biennium, a combined amount of $24 million. Yes. 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:04.730 So fiscal year 26, a $12 million reduction. Fiscal 00:05:04.730 --> 00:05:08.110 year 27, a $12 million reduction. And then something 00:05:08.110 --> 00:05:10.350 happened at the end of session that is further 00:05:10.350 --> 00:05:14.449 compounding kind of our concerns around the FPHS. 00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:18.519 account in FPHS funding, and that is policy was 00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:22.079 passed that changed how tobacco and nicotine 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:24.779 products and vapor products revenue was collected. 00:05:25.550 --> 00:05:28.250 And a lot of that got swept into the general 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:32.029 fund unintentionally. Oh, was that supposed to 00:05:32.029 --> 00:05:35.990 go to FPHS? Changing how the FPHS account, which 00:05:35.990 --> 00:05:39.089 funds a portion of FPHS. It's not the full funding 00:05:39.089 --> 00:05:41.110 source of FPHS, but it funds a portion of it. 00:05:41.230 --> 00:05:46.089 And it changed how that account was. uh funded 00:05:46.089 --> 00:05:48.689 and they were trying to capture nicotine products 00:05:48.689 --> 00:05:52.170 that weren't being taxed before right because 00:05:52.170 --> 00:05:54.610 i think the laws were based on tobacco products 00:05:54.610 --> 00:05:56.629 and now there's a lot of alternative products 00:05:56.629 --> 00:05:58.769 that contain nicotine whether they're vapor products 00:05:58.769 --> 00:06:01.910 or uh there's packets right those zin packets 00:06:01.910 --> 00:06:04.649 or something that yeah I don't know what you 00:06:04.649 --> 00:06:05.850 do with them. They're like pouches. Do you actually 00:06:05.850 --> 00:06:07.750 chew on them? You just put them in your mouth 00:06:07.750 --> 00:06:10.290 and kind of... Kind of like chewing tobacco? 00:06:10.649 --> 00:06:12.449 Okay. So they wanted to make sure that they were 00:06:12.449 --> 00:06:14.829 capturing those in the tax structure as well. 00:06:15.370 --> 00:06:17.550 And I think there was even a tax increase, if 00:06:17.550 --> 00:06:19.970 I'm not mistaken, on top of that. Yeah. And so 00:06:19.970 --> 00:06:23.750 what happened was a lot of the revenue that we 00:06:23.750 --> 00:06:25.870 were collecting and putting into the FPHS account 00:06:25.870 --> 00:06:29.089 then got swapped out of that account. So now 00:06:29.089 --> 00:06:32.250 we're faced with, for fiscal year 26, a small 00:06:32.250 --> 00:06:34.779 shortfall. in that account where we actually 00:06:34.779 --> 00:06:37.500 have the spending authority to spend the funding. 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:40.519 We just don't have the actual funding, the dollars 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:43.120 in the bank to spend. It's great to have spending 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:45.040 authority. Great to have spending authority, 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:47.500 but you need the money to actually get to do 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:48.500 it, right? If you don't actually have the dollars, 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:50.660 yeah. Sure, honey, you can go ahead and spend 00:06:50.660 --> 00:06:53.139 that million dollars, but if you don't have it, 00:06:53.180 --> 00:06:55.439 you can't spend it. I'd love to give people permission 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:57.139 to spend a million bucks. Wouldn't that be nice? 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:01.050 I don't have it. Go ahead, kids. Go crazy. Do 00:07:01.050 --> 00:07:04.689 your worst. And so we have a small one for this 00:07:04.689 --> 00:07:07.189 fiscal year. What's most concerning is that that 00:07:07.189 --> 00:07:10.509 grows significantly for fiscal year 27, which 00:07:10.509 --> 00:07:13.370 starts June 1st of this year. That estimated 00:07:13.370 --> 00:07:17.689 shortfall is just over $20 million, almost $21 00:07:17.689 --> 00:07:22.319 million. So we have that already kind of. So 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:24.879 that's on top of the $24 million. That's on top 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:26.879 of the $24 million. For the biennium, which is 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:29.040 $12 million last year, $12 million this year. 00:07:29.060 --> 00:07:31.759 And then the governor has proposed an additional 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:35.560 $29 million reduction into FPHS from the general 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:41.579 fund account that funds FPHS. So $24 last year, 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:44.079 governor's proposed a $29 million reduction, 00:07:44.300 --> 00:07:48.420 and then currently a $20 million shortfall in 00:07:48.420 --> 00:07:50.360 another account, which is essentially a reduction. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:54.519 All of that put together, it's about a 40 % decrease 00:07:54.519 --> 00:07:59.519 in FPHS funding total. And if folks have been 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:02.379 around for a while, you'll recall FPHS has slowly 00:08:02.379 --> 00:08:05.879 been built over the past year, starting in 2019, 00:08:06.060 --> 00:08:08.600 where we kind of got that first initial funding 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:11.500 and then built over time and then built through 00:08:11.500 --> 00:08:15.120 the pandemic. And so that 40 % rollback is a 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:20.240 very severe, very fast. whiplash kind of reduction 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:23.899 for FPHS? Public health is kind of the whipping 00:08:23.899 --> 00:08:27.399 boy, to use a really, really old term, during 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:31.279 really tough budget, maybe the whipping post 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:33.940 is a better term, during really tough budget 00:08:33.940 --> 00:08:38.779 seasons or periods of time, because FPHS really 00:08:38.779 --> 00:08:41.820 came out of all of the destructive cuts, both 00:08:41.820 --> 00:08:43.500 on the federal and state level, and even the 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:45.759 local level, that were made during the Great 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:49.379 Recession, right? And so, that was a big movement 00:08:49.379 --> 00:08:51.799 after the great recession. It gained acceleration 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:54.440 and traction through the pandemic because there 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:58.679 was a recognition. Oh yeah. The system isn't 00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:02.259 really sufficiently built up and funded to deal 00:09:02.259 --> 00:09:04.340 with now what we're facing this big, this big 00:09:04.340 --> 00:09:07.960 pandemic, but just like fires and floods, right? 00:09:08.539 --> 00:09:11.340 When the water recedes, when the flames go away 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:15.299 and the smoke clears, we oftentimes forget conveniently 00:09:15.299 --> 00:09:18.250 and other things, you know, become front and 00:09:18.250 --> 00:09:21.210 center like a financial crisis. And here we are 00:09:21.210 --> 00:09:24.590 being probably a little bit penny wise and pound 00:09:24.590 --> 00:09:28.070 foolish when we think about what we need to do 00:09:28.070 --> 00:09:31.289 today to kind of make things work versus what 00:09:31.289 --> 00:09:34.490 it may cost us in the future and future damage 00:09:34.490 --> 00:09:36.629 to the system and its capability and viability. 00:09:36.929 --> 00:09:39.009 Yeah, that's a perennial, I think, struggle with 00:09:39.009 --> 00:09:41.210 public health in that we're focused on prevention. 00:09:41.350 --> 00:09:44.789 And so how do you say, well, we did this work 00:09:44.789 --> 00:09:49.690 and it didn't. And X didn't happen. We prevented 00:09:49.690 --> 00:09:51.769 something from happening, which is a good thing. 00:09:51.789 --> 00:09:54.830 You can't point to the crisis because you prevented 00:09:54.830 --> 00:09:57.409 it from happening. And that, I think, was the 00:09:57.409 --> 00:10:03.450 struggle. 2008, 2010, 2011, Great Recession, 00:10:03.490 --> 00:10:07.009 public health was cut across the system locally 00:10:07.009 --> 00:10:11.679 about 50%. FPHS has built back. a lot of those 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:14.120 cuts, but we haven't even gotten to where we, 00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:20.299 you know, we were at in 2008, 2011. The pandemic 00:10:20.299 --> 00:10:23.159 and COVID certainly helped elevate that, oh, 00:10:23.220 --> 00:10:25.899 public health is really important. And, you know, 00:10:25.940 --> 00:10:28.259 we've been warning for a while, like we're not 00:10:28.259 --> 00:10:30.519 prepared. Our system does not have the infrastructure 00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:34.409 needed for a great crisis. COVID happened. really 00:10:34.409 --> 00:10:37.250 demonstrated that. But I also think it's important 00:10:37.250 --> 00:10:39.549 to highlight that public health is doing a lot 00:10:39.549 --> 00:10:44.149 of things that actually can be seen and are tangible 00:10:44.149 --> 00:10:47.210 and are stepping more into that space. And that's 00:10:47.210 --> 00:10:50.309 a lot of what FPHS covers and supports too. That's 00:10:50.309 --> 00:10:51.909 what it was intended to do, right? Is to kind 00:10:51.909 --> 00:10:55.070 of build up that system and fill the gaps in 00:10:55.070 --> 00:10:58.009 the communities where you didn't have funding 00:10:58.009 --> 00:10:59.730 and you didn't have infrastructure, but the need 00:10:59.730 --> 00:11:02.759 was really there and it was unmet. Yeah, so now 00:11:02.759 --> 00:11:08.100 we have programs around opioid overdose and response 00:11:08.100 --> 00:11:12.059 where we have public health being a center point 00:11:12.059 --> 00:11:16.179 for coalition building, working with community 00:11:16.179 --> 00:11:19.340 partners on treatment and community prevention 00:11:19.340 --> 00:11:22.779 services and other policy strategies. So kind 00:11:22.779 --> 00:11:25.820 of that multi -pronged approach. We have environmental 00:11:25.820 --> 00:11:31.169 health where... FPHS supports food safety things 00:11:31.169 --> 00:11:33.789 where it's not just inspecting, but it's also 00:11:33.789 --> 00:11:37.789 building up a more responsive network around 00:11:37.789 --> 00:11:41.049 complaints, but also just business support where 00:11:41.049 --> 00:11:45.909 if I'm a business owner and I have a question 00:11:45.909 --> 00:11:50.350 around, you know, can I implement this new. technology 00:11:50.350 --> 00:11:53.009 in my in my establishment what do i need to do 00:11:53.009 --> 00:11:55.250 to make sure it's the right thing we now have 00:11:55.250 --> 00:11:56.950 more infrastructure that can support questions 00:11:56.950 --> 00:12:00.019 like that where in the past you know We maybe 00:12:00.019 --> 00:12:02.980 could get to it, maybe, if we had that capacity 00:12:02.980 --> 00:12:06.360 to. So there's a lot of more things that public 00:12:06.360 --> 00:12:09.840 health is stepping into that FPHS has been really 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:13.220 critical in shoring up in addition to a lot of 00:12:13.220 --> 00:12:15.659 that more behind -the -scenes preventative work 00:12:15.659 --> 00:12:18.620 that public health is known for doing. So is 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:21.980 there a bill to try to fix the whole kind of 00:12:21.980 --> 00:12:25.279 nicotine tax piece? Yes. to replenish that piece? 00:12:25.419 --> 00:12:28.620 And then what are you doing about the 29 million 00:12:28.620 --> 00:12:31.000 in the governor's budget? And so when we testified 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:33.620 earlier this week and were able to, you know, 00:12:33.620 --> 00:12:36.860 identify, you know, articulate 40 % potentially 00:12:36.860 --> 00:12:39.799 being reduced, I think that got the attention 00:12:39.799 --> 00:12:41.919 of a lot of legislators and certainly during 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:43.679 legislative meetings that we've already been 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:47.120 having. Talking about the FPHS account, there 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:50.940 is a very strong desire to address and fix and 00:12:50.940 --> 00:12:53.399 correct that. You know, that 40 % number is, 00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:56.779 I'm sure, key and an eye -opener for a lot of 00:12:56.779 --> 00:12:59.159 them because time will go by and they'll make 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:00.720 a little bit here and a little bit there and 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.230 a little bit here and a little bit there. I can't 00:13:03.230 --> 00:13:04.990 tell you how many times I talk to a legislator 00:13:04.990 --> 00:13:07.450 and I'll say, hey, you know, it's another. And 00:13:07.450 --> 00:13:09.529 they say, yeah, but it's just a you know, it's 00:13:09.529 --> 00:13:11.409 just a little bit more. It's just a little bit 00:13:11.409 --> 00:13:13.509 of this or it's just another 10 million. And 00:13:13.509 --> 00:13:16.230 you go, but do you remember the previous years? 00:13:16.309 --> 00:13:18.529 And now you're up to 40 percent, 50 percent, 00:13:18.610 --> 00:13:21.809 60 percent. And they don't. Oftentimes they really 00:13:21.809 --> 00:13:24.269 don't. So it's up to us to kind of bring that 00:13:24.269 --> 00:13:26.129 information forward to them and make them aware 00:13:26.129 --> 00:13:29.269 of the cumulative impact over time of the decisions 00:13:29.269 --> 00:13:31.470 that they're making. So I'm sure that that's. 00:13:32.190 --> 00:13:34.929 Well, I want to say that's landing well with 00:13:34.929 --> 00:13:37.850 the members. It's probably landing like a thud, 00:13:37.870 --> 00:13:40.690 I would think, in many of their minds. Yeah, 00:13:40.730 --> 00:13:43.669 I think it's helpful in putting it into context 00:13:43.669 --> 00:13:46.889 of like, this isn't just a small reduction. 40 00:13:46.889 --> 00:13:50.679 % is a massive cut. And we want to do what we 00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:53.080 can to minimize anything that they might do. 00:13:53.220 --> 00:13:57.559 So we were encouraged. We have not one, not two, 00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:01.480 not three, but four policy bills that in various 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:04.740 ways attempt to make that fix for the FPHS account. 00:14:04.919 --> 00:14:10.600 And that unintentional kind of. thing that happened 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:13.179 last session we'll call it an unintentional diversion 00:14:13.179 --> 00:14:16.480 yeah and that's really encouraging um and we 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:20.480 have two in the house two in the senate um ones 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:23.419 from democrats and we have a proposal by republicans 00:14:23.419 --> 00:14:25.740 too so that is really encouraging it's a good 00:14:25.740 --> 00:14:27.259 bipartisan issue i mean public health should 00:14:27.259 --> 00:14:29.460 be for the most i see it as you know encouraging 00:14:29.460 --> 00:14:32.279 that both Democrats and Republicans want to solve 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:35.659 this issue. And so, you know, our job now is 00:14:35.659 --> 00:14:38.360 to go through each of those four bills, identify, 00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:41.340 you know, what we like, what we don't like, what 00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:43.460 we think fixes it, what we think could be better 00:14:43.460 --> 00:14:47.059 and work towards getting up, you know, a policy 00:14:47.059 --> 00:14:50.600 that. addresses the needs that it needs to address 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:55.039 on our end and move that forward. So which one 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:57.639 will move? I don't know. There's a lot of, you 00:14:57.639 --> 00:15:00.860 know, it's still early game time. Right. But 00:15:00.860 --> 00:15:02.700 it's encouraging to see that there's already 00:15:02.700 --> 00:15:07.320 four proposals that are proposing to fix the 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:10.039 FPHS account. Yeah, that is encouraging, especially 00:15:10.039 --> 00:15:12.139 when you consider that we're on the second half 00:15:12.139 --> 00:15:15.039 of the biennium. This is the second session or 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:17.799 the second half session. And it's only 60 days. 00:15:17.820 --> 00:15:19.860 I was looking at the calendar. You know, after 00:15:19.860 --> 00:15:23.240 this week, there's only another two weeks and 00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:26.019 three days of hearings before the first cutoff. 00:15:26.460 --> 00:15:28.720 So things have to happen really fast and really 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:31.460 rapidly in a short session. So the fact that 00:15:31.460 --> 00:15:35.240 you've got a head start is great. What can members 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:38.720 do to support these, Jamie, as we kind of think 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:41.379 about and move on to other subjects here? But 00:15:41.379 --> 00:15:42.960 for these two bills that you've talked about 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:44.519 so far, is there any action that our members 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:47.500 could take right away? So around the bills, you 00:15:47.500 --> 00:15:49.960 know, continuing to support good public health 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:52.279 policy is always important. I would say around 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:56.539 FPHS, the FPHS account is a little bit complicated 00:15:56.539 --> 00:15:59.519 and convoluted right now. It's going to become 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:04.029 more. streamlined and less nuanced later in session 00:16:04.029 --> 00:16:07.169 as we kind of identify, okay, which is the bill 00:16:07.169 --> 00:16:09.049 that's moving? What are the parts that we like? 00:16:09.129 --> 00:16:11.809 I think the key message right now is we need 00:16:11.809 --> 00:16:14.970 to address and fix the FPHS account shortfall. 00:16:15.049 --> 00:16:17.330 That's the key message. And then there's the 00:16:17.330 --> 00:16:19.350 governor's budget proposal too. The governor 00:16:19.350 --> 00:16:22.730 proposes another $29 million reduction for fiscal 00:16:22.730 --> 00:16:26.350 year 27, and that's an ongoing reduction. That's 00:16:26.350 --> 00:16:30.500 a lot. Remember, they've already made $12 million 00:16:30.500 --> 00:16:33.559 reduction for fiscal year 27. Right, 24 combined 00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:36.940 for the biennium. So if our members have a chance 00:16:36.940 --> 00:16:41.549 to talk with their legislators. The message should 00:16:41.549 --> 00:16:44.429 be, let's go ahead and fix that, not the tobacco, 00:16:44.549 --> 00:16:47.149 the nicotine tax piece, right? And number two, 00:16:47.210 --> 00:16:50.289 if there's any way not to include that $29 million 00:16:50.289 --> 00:16:52.149 that the governor has proposed, that would be 00:16:52.149 --> 00:16:53.889 better for public health and better for counties. 00:16:54.090 --> 00:16:57.009 Absolutely. Because those reductions would have 00:16:57.009 --> 00:17:02.049 to be made somehow. Locals receive the majority 00:17:02.049 --> 00:17:05.539 of FPHS funds. Because they're the boots on the 00:17:05.539 --> 00:17:07.740 ground implementers of most public health programs 00:17:07.740 --> 00:17:10.980 and services. And so they would have cuts and 00:17:10.980 --> 00:17:14.519 they would face cuts. And $29 million is more 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:17.940 than twice of what $12 million is. So the cuts 00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:20.599 that they had to make already, those would just 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:23.119 get deeper and harder to make. And the impact 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:25.339 to communities would be even more. So I encourage 00:17:25.339 --> 00:17:28.500 local elected officials to talk to your public 00:17:28.500 --> 00:17:31.220 health administrators and health officers and 00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:33.500 staff to learn about what cuts have been made. 00:17:33.609 --> 00:17:36.769 What cuts could they make? What cuts would they 00:17:36.769 --> 00:17:38.950 be forced to make with additional reductions? 00:17:39.230 --> 00:17:41.430 What the impact those are on those communities? 00:17:41.769 --> 00:17:44.690 We have a number of tools already for our local 00:17:44.690 --> 00:17:47.250 health jurisdictions. We have draft board resolutions. 00:17:47.410 --> 00:17:49.930 So if you're interested in passing a board resolution 00:17:49.930 --> 00:17:53.500 in support of FPHS and really... promoting and 00:17:53.500 --> 00:17:56.299 maintaining and preserving what we have. We have 00:17:56.299 --> 00:17:59.359 those drafted and available. We have talking 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.660 points and we have one pagers as well to use 00:18:01.660 --> 00:18:05.359 as kind of messaging tools. Yeah, great. Well, 00:18:05.420 --> 00:18:09.099 Jamie, you know, we talked at the beginning about 00:18:09.099 --> 00:18:12.720 how the budget is really kind of shaping the 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:14.619 session in many ways, just like it did last year. 00:18:14.859 --> 00:18:17.259 This is the second year in a row where the state's 00:18:17.259 --> 00:18:18.859 kind of dealing with the budget shortfall, which 00:18:18.859 --> 00:18:21.440 is very different than the previous several years. 00:18:22.179 --> 00:18:24.799 I think it's fair to say most of the legislators 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.180 have not faced this issue, much less two years 00:18:28.180 --> 00:18:30.660 in a row. I've been up talking with a lot of 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:33.000 legislators. You've been up talking with a lot 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:35.519 of legislators. What do you think the mood is 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:38.359 right now? And how do you think things are going 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:41.039 to progress in the next couple weeks? I think, 00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:47.099 I don't want to say sour or grim or grumpy, but 00:18:47.099 --> 00:18:51.210 there's an underlying... feeling of just kind 00:18:51.210 --> 00:18:54.789 of grumpiness i think everybody realizes the 00:18:54.789 --> 00:18:58.470 task at hand it's not a pleasant task no right 00:18:58.470 --> 00:19:01.430 it's it's it's much more pleasant to be an elected 00:19:01.430 --> 00:19:05.109 official being able to say i get to fund your 00:19:05.109 --> 00:19:06.750 project yeah because you got resources right 00:19:06.750 --> 00:19:08.549 it's just it's just like being a county commissioner 00:19:08.549 --> 00:19:11.150 a little bit in that you took the job to get 00:19:11.150 --> 00:19:13.130 a few things done and if you're a legislator 00:19:13.130 --> 00:19:16.309 in today's legislative session you're getting 00:19:16.309 --> 00:19:19.589 told no a lot. Yeah. And that's not fun, right? 00:19:19.650 --> 00:19:23.009 You don't want to have to take resources away 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:26.289 from any good work. And that's unfortunately 00:19:26.289 --> 00:19:30.069 the reality that our legislature has right now. 00:19:30.190 --> 00:19:34.430 So I think it's a very tough kind of vibe. You 00:19:34.430 --> 00:19:38.930 know, I think it's hard in that realm. But I 00:19:38.930 --> 00:19:43.710 also think that there's a lot of, you know, we're 00:19:43.710 --> 00:19:46.779 going to We're going to do what we can. We're 00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:48.700 taking the approach of we want to be helpful. 00:19:49.180 --> 00:19:51.420 So we want to be a resource. We want to be a 00:19:51.420 --> 00:19:53.500 place where, hey, what do you think about this 00:19:53.500 --> 00:19:56.960 idea or this idea? Or, you know, we want to hear 00:19:56.960 --> 00:19:59.200 what your budget priorities are. And we want 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:01.640 to be helpful. We want to be a place of support. 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:04.579 We want to be a thought partner. And we've heard 00:20:04.579 --> 00:20:06.619 that that is very much appreciated. We want to 00:20:06.619 --> 00:20:09.400 come with solutions instead of just ask. Do you 00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:13.079 really say thought partner? We have at times. 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:16.460 Yes. Maybe that runs well with the public health 00:20:16.460 --> 00:20:18.319 community. I tell you, I'm not sure. I don't 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:20.079 know. If you offered to be my thought partner, 00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:21.859 I'd be like, I don't know if I want a thought 00:20:21.859 --> 00:20:23.319 partner. We're always thought partners together, 00:20:23.539 --> 00:20:27.480 Paul. Come on. Come on. But yeah, we want to 00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:29.599 be helpful. We want to come with solutions. We 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:31.599 want to have ideas. We don't want to just come 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:33.599 with asks. And we don't want to just come with 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:36.460 no. Like, please don't cut us. Well, I mean, 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:38.359 that's what we want to do as an association always, 00:20:38.519 --> 00:20:40.720 right? But it's even more important in the difficult 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:43.670 times to be problem solvers. Absolutely. To be 00:20:43.670 --> 00:20:46.170 collaborators and to be seen as people who want 00:20:46.170 --> 00:20:49.609 to roll up your sleeves and actually do the hard 00:20:49.609 --> 00:20:52.250 stuff to try to get the decisions to be better. 00:20:52.670 --> 00:20:55.670 than if you were just making across -the -board 00:20:55.670 --> 00:20:58.309 cuts so you could go home, right? Well, Jamie, 00:20:58.410 --> 00:21:00.829 thanks for the time. I know you're busy. Our 00:21:00.829 --> 00:21:03.109 members are busy. This time of year, of course, 00:21:03.130 --> 00:21:06.230 we try to keep these podcasts pretty tight. But 00:21:06.230 --> 00:21:08.650 you'll come back, and we'll talk about more maybe 00:21:08.650 --> 00:21:10.329 next week. Yeah, absolutely. And we'll see how 00:21:10.329 --> 00:21:13.289 this session goes. It's just the first week, 00:21:13.369 --> 00:21:15.569 everybody, so hold on to your socks. It'll be 00:21:15.569 --> 00:21:20.660 a fun one. Thanks, Jamie. Thanks, Paul. Thanks 00:21:20.660 --> 00:21:22.920 for tuning in to County Connection. Stay in the 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:24.859 loop by subscribing to us through your preferred 00:21:24.859 --> 00:21:27.160 podcasting app and following us on LinkedIn, 00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:30.180 Facebook and Instagram. And don't forget to join 00:21:30.180 --> 00:21:32.279 the hub, your go to source for the latest news 00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:34.119 and updates from the Washington State Association 00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:36.819 of Counties. Until next time, stay connected 00:21:36.819 --> 00:21:37.819 and stay informed.