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Initiative to privatize workers’ comp rejected

The Columbian
Published: November 2, 2010, 12:00am

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington voters have rejected an initiative that would have privatized workers’ compensation insurance.

With more than half of the expected vote counted in Tuesday’s election, Initiative 1082 was being defeated by more than 16 points, with 58 percent of voters saying no on the ballot.

I-1082 was a business-backed initiative that sought to take away the state monopoly on workers’ compensation insurance.

The campaign for Initiative 1082 is part of a long-running political battle between the powerful Building Industry Association of Washington and the state Department of Labor and Industries, which runs the state’s workers’ comp system.

Initiative supporters argued competition could reduce costs for employers in a time of great economic uncertainty.

Opponents of the initiative said it would be a mistake to let profit-driven insurance companies into the workers’ comp market.

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