If you are a local business owner, my heart goes out to you — this pandemic isn’t just a health crisis, it’s an economic nightmare for businesses across our district, our state and our nation.
Please know that the catastrophic challenges you face weigh heavily on the minds of my colleagues and I. In addition to legislative action we took to provide immediate assistance, we support Gov. Inslee in his executive responses and stand ready to provide additional help as events continue to evolve.
In the meantime, I strongly encourage you to click on this link — https://dev2.sdc.wastateleg.org/wilson/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2020/04/Small-Business-Programs-040120-update-2.pdf — for a detailed list of resources for small businesses during this unprecedented crisis.
In addition, my office has received many questions about what kinds of businesses and work are considered essential and non-essential during the pandemic. On page four of this link — https://dev2.sdc.wastateleg.org/wilson/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2020/04/20-25-Coronovirus-Stay-Safe-Stay-Healthy-tmp-1.pdf — you will find the definitions of essential and non-essential businesses under the governor’s executive proclamation, along with links to additional resources for clarification.
Lastly, this link to a related proclamation by the governor answers questions about sick leave related to the pandemic: https://dev2.sdc.wastateleg.org/wilson/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2020/04/Sick-Leave-COVID-19.pdf.
