Since January, leaders in the Democratic-controlled Legislature have said one focus of this year’s 105-day session is to address a labor market that was discombobulated by the COVID-19 pandemic and other societal shifts. The state has long been short of some workers, like staff for mental-health facilities and, more recently, ferry workers and state troopers. Meanwhile, privately run facilities that are reimbursed by the state government – such as assisted living and skilled nursing facilities – have also struggled to find employees.
The House budget released Monday afternoon includes more than $2 billion for state worker raises and reimbursement-rate increases for private facilities, according to Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane and
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