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BOLI defends backlog hires; committee presses alternatives to cutting firefighter apprenticeship funding
Summary
The Bureau of Labor and Industries reported progress hiring intake staff to clear civil‑rights and wage/hour backlogs and proposed a general‑fund reduction that would shrink firefighter apprenticeship pass‑through funding; legislators asked BOLI for alternatives and warned about workforce impacts.
Commissioner Christina Stevenson of the Bureau of Labor and Industries briefed the subcommittee on BOLI’s budget and proposed reduction options. Stevenson said BOLI’s biennial budget is relatively small (about $80 million total; roughly $35 million general fund) and that the agency has been “lean.” She reported progress on hiring intake staff funded in the 2025‑27 budget and projected that civil‑rights and wage/hour intake backlogs will decline over the coming biennium, with investigation backlogs remaining a multi‑year issue.
On proposed general fund reductions, Stevenson noted that the firefighter apprenticeship program is a pass‑through that funded registered apprenticeship efforts (initial allocations of $5 million and a later $2.5 million). BOLI proposed reducing the $2.5 million allocation by about $1.8 million, reducing funds available for firefighter apprenticeship grants targeted to underserved communities. Committee members, including Representative Kate and others who raised concerns about workforce and wildfire recovery needs, asked BOLI to return with alternative reductions comparable in size before cutting the internship/apprenticeship funding.
Stevenson said BOLI prioritized core functions (intake and enforcement) and sought to avoid staffing cuts that would drive backlogs up again. She agreed to supply the committee with full general‑fund details and alternative options to replace the apprenticeship cut if feasible.
