SEL tracks long-term care program closely

Schweitzer Engineer Laboratories is still closely monitoring the progress of the WA Cares Fund, a Wasington long-term care tax that has drawn strong criticism from the Pullman-based company.

On Tuesday, The Associated Press reported opponents of the mandatory payroll tax filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court seeking to stop the January start of the payroll premium for most employees in the state.

As part of the insurance plan, Washington workers will pay a premium of 0.58 percent of their wages. Starting in 2025, people can use that fund if they need assistance with basic activities of daily living, such as eating and taking medication. The money can cover in-home care, home modifications, home delivered meals and reimbursement to unpaid family caregivers, AP reported.

More than 344,000 Washington residents have applied to opt out of the program as of Nov. 4. More than 140,000 opt-outs have been approved.

SEL CEO Dave Whitehead is one of those residents who applied for an exemption and was approved, he said during a Pullman Chamber of Commerce member luncheon.

Whitehead called it a “very ill-conceived state policy” and believes it won’t survive its unpopularity.

“I am convinced this thing is going to get turned upside down,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to get approved.”

In August, SEL Founder and President Edmund Schweitzer wrote a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee asking him to end the insurance program he believes is unfair to SEL’s employees. SEL employs many Idaho residents who will have to pay into the fund even though they cannot receive its benefits, Schweitzer wrote.

Hailey Lewis, of SEL’s government affairs department, said Tuesday the company employs 600 Latah County residents and 500-600 Nez Perce County residents. She said company representatives have reached out to the Idaho Attorney General’s office about the issue.

She encouraged people concerned about the program to reach out to their state representatives.

“I think the legislators in Washington are waking up to the realization that it really is not cool for the out-of-state people,” she said.

During Tuesday’s luncheon, Whitehead briefly spoke about the Moscow printed circuit board factory that is under construction at 2615 S. Main St.

The building will be 160,000 square feet and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. Whitehead highlighted the water efficiency of the facility. It will only use 50 gallons of water per day and not discharge any waste into Moscow’s water system. He said it will probably be the greenest printed circuit board factory in the world.

In other SEL-related news, the company donated $30,000 to United Way of Whitman County’s Community Fund. The fund awards grants to programs and organizations that support the health, education and financial stability of Whitman County residents, according to a news release from United Way.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.