On Monday of this week there was a public hearing held on the state budget. Marty Brown, director, Office of Financial Management, hosted the event.

The entire hearing is available on TVW. I’ve embedded the video to start on the comment from the non-partisan group called State Budget Solutions that is working across the nation supporting the state budget crisis. They have developed five recommendations for our state and they identify the impact on businesses when it comes to new taxes. Their comment is about two minutes long.

Marty Brown is also accepting ideas to help balance the budget. Here is the link to that site where you can submit your ideas: http://transformwabudget.ideascale.com/

Anyone who has dined at Seattle’s Union, Tavolata, How to Cook a Wolf or Anchovies & Olives already knows that restaurateur, chef and WRA member Ethan Stowell is a shining star. Seems the Puget Sound Business Journal agrees. Stowell has been named to the publication’s annual 40 Under 40 List–a roundup of the region’s brightest business leaders.

More than 500 individuals were nominated and 232 people applied for what is one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s premier awards.

According the the PSBJ:

To become an honoree, the 40 selected individuals have accomplished great things in their company, their industry and in their community. Of course, all had to be 39 years of age or younger through Sept. 30, 2010. All of the applicants had to articulate those accomplishments in an essay-form application. The judges — eight men and women from all walks of the business community — then read, scored and deliberated for more than half a day to select the honorees.

We will reveal the fruits of these labors in the 40 Under 40 special publication in the Sept. 10 issue of the Business Journal. And you can join us as we celebrate their accomplishments with an honoree bash and award ceremony at Showbox SoDo on Sept. 22. Click here to RSVP.

Washington restaurant owners aren’t really ones to bite their tongues when it comes to issues that affect their businesses. So, it was no surprise really when industry heavyweights Tom Douglas (Palace Kitchen), Chad McKay (El Gaucho) and Pete Hanning (Red Door) submitted an opinion column on liquor privatization that was published recently in the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Tom, Chad and Pete make strong arguments in favor of Initiative 1100, which aims to end the state’s monopoly on liquor sales, giving business owners the opportunity to work within a free-market system that allows them to negotiate for the best possible price.

It’s a simple concept that works in every other aspect of the industry. Take a look at the column here, and be proud of your fellow restaurateurs for speaking out on this pivotal issue.

More good news on this front: earlier this week Secretary of State Sam Reed certified Initiative 1100, placing the measure on November’s ballot.

ImmigrationWorks is planning a Northwest Employer Summit in Seattle on August 12. The meeting will bring together employers who rely on immigrant workers and grasp the urgent need for immigration reform for a packed day of speeches, panels and strategy sessions.

High-tech entrepreneur and scholar, Vivek Wadhwa, will give the lunch keynote, and there will be remarks by Washington Sen. Patty Murray. Other speakers will include pro-immigration business advocates from across the country and a panel of employers who rely on immigrant workers – small business owners who know and can explain better than anyone how immigrant workers keep U.S. businesses running and contributing to a dynamic, competitive economy.

ImmigrationWorks USA is a national federation of small business owners advocating immigration reform. The organization links 25 state-based, pro-immigration business coalitions: employers and trade associations from Florida to Oregon and from every sector of the economy that relies on immigrant workers. IW coordinates and supports these groups as they fight for better immigration law in Washington and in the states.

Click HERE to register or to find out more about the Northwest Summit.

On any other month, you’d be receiving your monthly copy of The Front Burner magazine right around this time. This month is a little different.

We’ve spent the last several months working on a special health care edition of the magazine, designed to familiarize you with the requirements of the newly passed legislation.

During the editorial process, we consulted numerous experts, stakeholders and legislators to ensure the accuracy and readability of the material. Along the way, updates to the law occurred, interpretations evolved and clarifications were made.

We wanted to make sure that everything you read in this issue is as timely and accurate as possible, so we made a tough decision. We decided to hang onto the magazine for an extra week just to make sure everything is ship-shape, and we believe the result is a useful resource for your restaurant to use when determining how your business may be affected by the new law.

The extra time was simply necessary in order to publish to most up-to-date information. While specifics are still be hammered out and certain aspects of the law are in flux, this issue of The Front Burner is a solid starting point for understanding an issue that is admittedly pretty complex.

We are committed to keeping you updated with new information as we receive it. In the meantime, you can expect your copy of the magazine in about a week.

Thanks for your patience; we think the extra time really paid off. Don’t hesitate to contact the WRA office at 800.225.7166 with any questions you may have about health care reform.

We are proud to help you succeed!