Gregoire answers questions about dependent benefit, Basic Health Plan

Governor Chris Gregoire held a press conference this morning to address the need for a speedy passage of an unemployment insurance measure that would lower rates for small businesses and put the state in line to extend benefits. Gregoire said she the bill on her desk by Feb. 8.

After her speech – read our blog on that here – she opened up the floor for questions from the media.

The first question brought up the dependent benefit that was discussed in committee. The proposal would swap out the extra training benefit for a $15 per child per week for unemployed families. The Governor was asked where she stands with that?

Gov. Gregoire answered that there are two separate bills and that the one she is asking for by February 8 is the one that would lower rates and qualify the state’s program for the federal extension. “What you are talking about is a separate bill, one that would qualify us for $98 million in federal funds but to do so we have to choose between two options… one is training benefits and the other is dependent benefits,” she said. ”I chose training benefits and I stand by that choice.”

Why is the training benefit better than the dependent benefit?

It is very administratively complex, she explained. The state has to keep monitoring: if the person turned 18? Did they leave? Is there another child? In order for qualify for the $98 million you have to commit to a long term. “Far too many of our workers that have lost their job have no jobs to go back to,” said Gregoire. “When they exhaust their unemployment I want them to have the new skills that are needed for the jobs of tomorrow.”

She said she wants to debate the topic another day. Right now the insurance rate bill is what she needs and wants to focus on.

Nest Gregoire was asked about what Labor and Business seem to agree on and that is a strategy to figure out the whole debate before making any decisions.

“That is not my impression right now…there is a debate to be had here, let’s leave it for another day,” she said. “We have to move right now on the temporary rate reduction. That is absolutely critical…so I think folks have taken at look at ‘why don’t we combine it all’ – they’ve seen it’s too difficult and I think now there is a much more willingness to go back to the offer that I made in the first instance.”

Are you concerned that if things keep going like they have in the first two weeks of the legislature that the bills might not be passed?

“No, I had a five-corner meeting last night. I was encouraged by the conversation. I was encouraged by the commitment of all four leaders on the unemployment bill as well as early action on the supplmental,” she said.

What do you think about the early action bill that was passed yesterday?

“It’s a start. I know it has been difficult…they are on a rapid learning curve, one that I got a couple of months to do and one that they’ve had a couple of weeks to do,” said Gregoire. “I’ve given them a letter indicating some concerns I had with that…I outlined really why we need early action. Otherwise March 1 the across the boards begin in ways that I don’t want them to begin.”

What about early child services and extra teachers for K-12? ”

We can’t close a $4.6 billion hole without unfortunately taking it out on social services and health care.” the Governor said.

What about the plan to create some sort of “bridge” from the Basic Health Plan to the national coverage that is expected in 2014?

“I tried but the fact is that once you get to far below 60,000 you do not have a functioning system. You don’t have a risk pool that will actually function,” she said. ”The House tried to keep it in their first proposed budget and that didn’t work… If there is a way to save the Basic Health Plan, believe me, I’d like to do so.”

What about trying to find a way for the private sector to put in some money?

“The waiver gives us Federal-match dollars but we have to put up our half,” Gregoire explained that she thinks lawmakers are jut looking for anyway to come up with that money. “Their earlier efforts that I reviewed with them violated conditions of the waiver – like raising co-pays – that does not qualify as a match.”

What about delaying the science and math testing requirement?

“We are letting our kids down. When we say we haven’t been able to get our programs up and running enough,” said Gregoire. “The worst thing we can do in this economic recession, in my opinion, is delaying the recovery of our students to compete in a global market place in STEM – science, technology, engineering, math – that is the global economy now.”