press release issued 9. 22. 21
Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement today regarding the U.S. Department of Justice’s petition for review in the U.S. Supreme Court against state law protecting Hanford workers.
“The decision by the Department of Justice to pursue this case in the U.S. Supreme Court is a mistake that threatens to compound the suffering of Hanford workers. At every step of the legal process, federal courts have rejected the federal government’s attempts to invalidate our state law establishing a presumption of causation for workers made sick by exposure to the Hanford site. I implore Attorney General Merrick Garland to consider the greater interests of justice and withdraw the department’s petition.
"We must not lose sight of why this legislation is needed in the first place. For years, the federal government has failed in its obligation to care for these workers and their families. As the recent final report of the Hanford Healthy Energy Workers Board showed, nearly six in 10 workers at the site who were surveyed reported exposure to radioactive or toxic materials at Hanford, the most contaminated environmental cleanup site in the country. The federal government’s position in this case would tie the state’s hands and restore a system that was nearly impossible to navigate and left Hanford workers struggling to get assistance for illnesses that have clearly been caused by exposures at the site.
"I applaud Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s commitment to defending this state law, as he has ably done twice before. There is still time to choose a different path, and I stand with the labor community and all those encouraging the Department of Justice to take advantage of it. No legal principle is so important that it can justify a course of action that will undermine the health and safety of these workers and their families.”
ICYMI: Inslee letter to Zients requests federal medical staffing resources.
Press release issued 9. 20. 21
In case you missed it: Gov. Jay Inslee sent a letter today to Jeff Zients, federal COVID-19 response coordinator, requesting federal staffing resources, including clinical and non-clinical staff, to support the Washington health care system in response to rising COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The letter reads, in part:
"In Washington State, our hospitals are currently at or beyond capacity, and we need additional assistance at this time. Our hospitals were nearing capacity this summer – before the Delta variant hit our state. Much of this volume was due to delayed care during the early part of the pandemic.
"Once the Delta variant hit Washington state, COVID-19 hospitalizations skyrocketed. From mid-July to late August, we saw hospitalizations double about every two weeks. The hospitals have surged to increase staffed beds and stretch staff and have canceled most non-urgent procedures, but are still over capacity across the state.
"For these reasons, I have directed state agencies to request assistance from the federal government to provide Washington State with medical staff resources to help meet staffing needs in hospitals and in long-term care facilities. To date, the Washington State Department of Health has requested 1,200 clinical and non-clinical staff through the General Services Administration contracting process offered through FEMA.
"I am further requesting the deployment of Department of Defense medical personnel to assist with the current hospital crisis. In announcing the COVID-19 Action Plan, the President indicated that more clinical teams would be available. That assistance will be of significant value in Washington state.
"While there are hopeful signs that the current wave of infection is peaking, and some states are
beginning to see declines, we have not yet seen that effect here. Washington State has
historically lagged the country in previous COVID-19 waves, and the same pattern is playing out
with the enormous impact we are seeing from the Delta variant."
IN OTHER STATE RELATED HEADLINES
$10 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS NOW AVAILABLE TO BENEFIT SPECIALTY CROPS
Business accelerator for women in ag begins this November.
Coming soon: Working Washington grants for businesses impacted by U.S.-Canadian border closure.
Bellevue developer fined $280,000 for multiple dangerous waste violations at downtown site.
BELLEVUE –
Initial unemployment insurance claims for week of September 12 - 18, 2021.
State seeks public input to inform conservation and rebuilding of Puget Sound Chinook.
COVID-19 transmission increasing; future hospital admissions and occupancy uncertain.
As Weather Shifts, Commissioner Franz Lifts DNR’s Statewide Burn Ban.
From our congressional delegation to DC
Cantwell Joins Congressional Democrats to Urge SCOTUS to Protect Reproductive Rights by Upholding Roe and Rejecting Mississippi’s Blatantly Unconstitutional Law
Cantwell, Durbin Call on DOJ, FAA to Toughen Actions Against Dangerous Airline Passengers
Murray, Baldwin, Pocan Reintroduce Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act to Address Campus Bullying and Harassment.
This week's top video
President Biden Addresses U.N. General Assembly
President Biden addressed the U.N. General Assembly in New York City. He talked about the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. military power, climate change, human rights and emerging technologies.---CSPAN
https://www.c-span.org/video/?514742-2/president-biden-addresses-un-general-assembly
