Republican reconquest and the workers’ comp reforms

From coast to coast, voters went to the polls in the midterm elections on November 2 and could have decided the fate of several workers’ comp policies for years to come. Our experts broke down the winners and losers among the key battleground states: Washington: A battle has been brewing in recent years in the Evergreen State, pitting pro-business advocates against insurance officials in a debate over Washington’s workers’ comp market. Employers have voiced concerns about steadily rising rates and an Accident Fund--which pays nonmedical claims costs such as wage replacement benefits, vocational rehabilitation, disability pensions and survivor benefits--that some say is teetering on insolvency. The state Department of Labor & Industries (DL&I) fought back hard against those claims, but it didn’t stop groups from drumming up support for reforms.