Another day, another proposed law limiting freedom in Democrat-run Washington state.
Democrats in the Washington State House of Representatives want to regulate the use of self-checkout machines at grocery stores.
A bill that has 10 Democrat sponsors, introduced in January, had its first committee hearing on Wednesday. House Bill 1739 would limit self-checkout use to times when at least one traditionally human-staffed checkout lane is open.
In addition, store employees who are assigned to monitor self-checkouts would be restricted to overseeing no more than two machines at a time. The law would apply to stores like Fred Meyer, where many goods are sold other than groceries. In many stores, the self-checkout monitors oversee about six stations.
Customers would would be allowed to scan only up to 15 items per transaction.
The proposed regulations would apply to grocery stores larger than 15,000 square feet but would exempt bulk goods stores requiring memberships.
The Department of Labor and Industries would be responsible for enforcing the rules, with penalties for noncompliance. Representative Fosse said the bill addresses concerns about automation and understaffing affecting grocery workers across the state.
A similar bill was offered in California, another Democrat stronghold, but failed to pass both houses of the legislature in 2024.
In Seattle or Victoria(BC), I can shop online and have my groceries delivered dockside and not even hassle with driving to-from (traffic), finding a parking spot, or the dreaded experience of dealing hordes of homelessness and other undesirable crowds.
Lower or eliminate minimum wage so these stores aren’t financially compelled to use self checkout stations. Minimum wage forces employers to automate.
It just astounds me that this may even be able to withstand a court challenge. Private businesses are not so private any more I guess. I guess what the customers want doesn’t matter. God help us.
I don’t want to get rid of them, but staff the stupid things
with someone who actually monitors them.
And maybe a line of really slow people.
They can do what ever they want as the people don’t care.
It simply outstands me that these Democratics would accuse Republicans and President Trump of be dictatorial but keep wanting to implement regulations and laws that strip the freedoms from citizens. They keep wanting to implement the Nanny State where they control every aspect of your life from birth the death.
Simple solution ala California. Total of items not exceeding $900 … just walk out of the store. As Lenin said, the path to communism is through the unions.
You always love to see corruption. (Not!) Notice how they explicitly cut out an exception for Washington State based Costco. “The proposed regulations would apply to grocery stores larger than 15,000 square feet but would exempt bulk goods stores requiring memberships.”
Being a former WA state resident. This doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s a horrible mommy state. They have/want to control everything. And with the change of governor it will only get worse. Side show Bob is horrible. He filed more lawsuits against the Trump administration then any other AG. And their new AG is just as bad. He will do what ever sideshow tells him. I feel bad for my friends and family who still live there..
What does this do? Is it supposed to promote more employment? Stores have installed these to alleviate pressures on staff. To gain more staff they’ll need to pay higher wages with the accompanying benefits. Raise the food prices I guess.
When I went to the self-checkout section that is near the Household Dept Entry at Walmart in Kenai yesterday, I was directed by the watcher to a sign above the registers in that section that stated it was for 15 or fewer items only. She said the signs went up overnight, as they had not been there the day before, but were up when she came to work yesterday. Since I had quite a few items, I went to find a line with a cashier. As the cashier was scanning my items, she told me that the other self-checkout section near the Produce section was still unlimited at this time. The reason I use the self-checkout is because I have an electronic coupon that always works at the self-checkout registers, but never works at the registers run by a cashier. So after the cashier scanned all my items, I had her scan my electronic coupon. Wouldn’t work. She called over her supervisor. Supervisor had the cashier print off the scanned items so she could transfer my transaction over to a self-checkout, as I had explained to the Supervisor how the self-checkout always works on scanning my electronic coupon, but those manned by a cashier never do. The supervisor walked me and my cart over to the self-checkout. The supervisor scanned the transfer printout UPC, but error came up and it would not transfer my transaction over to the self-checkout register. Ended up, the supervisor had to rescan all the my items in my cart. I scanned my electronic coupon – it worked! Paid for my items and left the store. Long story short – it has already come to Kenai!
More regulations. More overhead for grocery stores. More expensive food. Why? Or is ‘more’ the raison d’être? Washington, Oregon and California are already lost. But, like a bad staff infection, it could easily travel north. Especially with a socialist assembly in Anchorage and a legislature in Juneau that is filled with republicans with no guts.
Washington has a solution: government!
I refuse to use the self-checkout, since I am not an employee and not being paid to do an employee’s work. When the business gives me an employee discount, then and only then will I use the self-checkout!