Affirmative action, expanded internet access, heat rules for outdoor workers, and news you might have missed



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What the SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action means for Washingtonians

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Gov. Jay Inslee statement on SCOTUS' ruling Thursday gutting affirmative action policies in higher education.

On Thursday the U.S. Supreme Court?upended decades of legal precedent [ [link removed] ]?by gutting affirmative action policies in higher education. The ruling will not likely have an immediate impact in states like Washington, where affirmative action policies were essentially banned in 1998 by Initiative 200, but it makes the cause of equity in government and education that much more important.

In January 2022, Gov. Inslee?rescinded [ [link removed] ]?overly restrictive guidance on affirmative action policies in our state in compliance with I-200, giving state agencies tools to identify, document and eradicate discrimination and disparities in their institutions.

His directive also tasked the Washington Student Achievement Council with tracking student success across subpopulations and the effectiveness of existing programs designed to root out discrimination in higher education.

The governor followed these actions later in March 2022 by issuing an?executive order [ [link removed] ]?implementing the Office of Equity?s Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) plan and playbook across state government to reduce disparities. Agencies? first PEAR annual performance reports are due to the Office of Equity by September 1 of this year and every year thereafter.

?Our state will continue advancing the cause of equity in higher education and government," Inslee said in a statement [ [link removed] ]. "As with past rulings from this court that have made our society less equitable for women, people of color, and other marginalized communities, Washington state will respond however necessary to continue advancing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?s vision of the arc of the moral universe that bends toward justice.?

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Making 'internet for all' possible in Washington

President Biden?s administration announced this week that?Washington will receive over $1.2 billion to expand high-speed internet networks statewide [ [link removed] ].

?I?m thrilled to see the federal government stepping up to invest in the work we?ve been doing for years to expand equitable access to high-speed internet,? said Gov. Jay Inslee. ?We?re going to put this funding to work connecting Washingtonians across the state to broadband, with all the opportunities this technology brings.?

Washington consistently ranks among the ?best connected? states in the country when it comes to internet access. But there are still nearly 230,000 households in Washington that do not use broadband services, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

These households face multiple barriers. For some, it?s a lack of infrastructure in rural areas. For others, it?s an affordability issue ? the monthly subscription fee or the cost of an internet-enabled device just doesn?t fit in their budget. For still others, it?s a question of technical knowledge ? they need to develop certain digital skills that many of us take for granted.

Today, with the increasing availability of remote work, tele-medicine, online education and workforce training, access to the internet is essential. The price of staying disconnected is high and rising. And despite record state-level investments in broadband programs, those without access have continued to fall further behind.

The projected cost to fully address remaining gaps in internet service throughout the state runs to billions of dollars. Private companies haven?t expanded service to some less populated parts of the state simply because the construction and maintenance work required is too expensive and not profitable.

As a result, the state government stepped in over the past several years to partner with communities and bridge the digital divide across Washington. With the influx of federal funding, the state will be able to scale up these efforts and serve more Washingtonians.

Read more on the governor's Medium page. [ [link removed] ]

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Heat rules to protect outdoor workers take effect July 17

As hotter, drier weather sets in, farmworkers, construction workers, and other outdoor workers will be better protected from heatstroke and other hot-weather hazards because of updated workplace heat rules that take effect in mid-July.

Washington is one of only a few states with heat protections for outdoor workers, having first put rules in place in 2008. This week, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) filed a formal update to those rules, expanding existing requirements to keep workers safe.

?Excessive heat is a real concern when it comes to worker safety. Heat-related illness can strike quickly, and in some cases, be deadly,? said L&I Director Joel Sacks. ?Our climate is changing, and these updates to our state heat rules are a major step forward in protecting workers.?

The last two summers L&I enacted temporary emergency heat rules to supplement existing worker protections. These new permanent rules [ [link removed] ] take effect July 17, and the requirements will be in place year-round.

The rules lower the temperature at which action is required to 80?F for most outdoor work. Temperature-based action levels apply to specific portions of the rule such as drinking water and shade, and include specifics on when and how much shade must be provided. Workers must be allowed to take preventative cool-down periods as needed to prevent overheating. Employers must follow high-heat procedures that require close observation of workers and mandatory cool-down periods of 10 minutes every two hours when the temperature reaches 90?F, and 15 minutes every hour at 100?F.

The updated permanent rules also add requirements for acclimatization and exposure to high heat. Under these requirements, which address the need to adapt to working in the heat over time, employers must closely observe all workers during heat waves and any worker who is newly assigned to working in the heat or returning from an absence of up to 14 days.

Under the rules, employers must also update their outdoor heat exposure safety programs, and train workers and supervisors on the plan and the new requirements. L&I is developing model outdoor heat exposure safety programs and training materials to help employers implement these requirements.

To learn more about the updated outdoor heat exposure rules and learn ways to protect workers from heat-related illness, visit L&I?s Heat Smart [ [link removed] ] web page.

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News you might have missed:

*Text-to-911 now enabled statewide*

Washingtonians in all 39 counties now have the option to text 911 [ [link removed] ] when they need emergency services and aren't able to call, the state Emergency Management Department announced Friday. This culminates a years-long effort to make the service available statewide since counties first began implementing it in 2015.

Emergency Management officials still encourage residents to call rather than text, only using that service if it is the only option in an emergency situation.

Washingtonians on Apple Health (Medicaid) urged to update their information

The state Health Care Authority is urging Apple Health (Medicaid) clients to update their information [ [link removed] ] to ensure the avoid losing coverage as pandemic-era exemptions go away now that the federal public health emergency has ended.

More than 2.3 million Washington State residents are covered by Apple Health. The state is engaging in extensive outreach efforts to make sure Apple Health clients update their eligibility information to avoid losing coverage they might still be eligible for.?

HCA and the state Health Benefit Exchange will work with clients who are no longer eligible for Apple Health to ensure they are provided information on how to enroll for other affordable coverage options through the Washington Healthplanfinder. [ [link removed] ] If they are over 65, they will receive information about applying for programs that help pay for Medicare.

Washington families to receive last round of pandemic-related food benefits in June-July 2023

Many families in Washington state will soon have help to pay for groceries while children are home for the summer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved the Department of Social and Health Services? applications for federal COVID-19 relief funding to provide a fourth and final round of?Pandemic EBT [ [link removed] ]?food assistance for summer 2023 and for children under age 6.

Families will start to receive these benefits beginning June 30 and through the end of the summer. Read more at the?DSHS Medium site [ [link removed] ].

*L&I reminds teens, families and employers about labor laws for minors*

With young people getting out of school and starting summer jobs, the Department of Labor & Industries is encouraging employers, students, and parents to know the law regarding employing teens, and make sure your workplace or your child?s workplace is following it.

As several states around the country consider easing child labor regulations, Washington has specific guidelines [ [link removed] ] on hours worked, minimum age, prohibited job duties, meal and rest breaks, and permits for businesses.

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