Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1977 NO. 1 >

The certification by the governor of designated energy facilities under chapter 80.50 RCW will have the effect of permitting the construction and operation of the facilities thus certified at whatever location is specified therein even where the otherwise applicable provisions of a county, city or regional zoning code are to the contrary in view of the preemptive language of RCW 80.50.100, as amended by § 37, chapter 108, Laws of 1975-76, 2nd Ex. Sess.

AGO 1990 NO. 2 >

1.  When the Governor appoints a Director of Wildlife pursuant to RCW 43.17.020, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor, and notifies the Senate as required by RCW 43.06.030, the Governor has exercised the power of appointment.  The appointment is complete and effective unless the Senate rejects the appointment pursuant to RCW 43.06.092. 2.  If there is a vacancy in the office of Director of Wildlife, RCW 43.17.040 allows the Governor to make a temporary appointment by either leaving the chief assistant in charge of the department or appointing an acting director.  RCW 43.17.020 prohibits the Governor from leaving such a temporary appointee in charge of the Department of Wildlife for more than one year. 3.   If a Director of Wildlife, who is not a temporary director and has not been rejected by the Senate, resigns the office, the Governor may immediately reappoint the same individual to that office.

AGLO 1974 NO. 3 >

It is not a violation of Article VIII, §§ 5 or 7 of the state Constitution for the governor to proclaim a legal holiday in accordance with the authority granted to him in RCW 1.16.050.

AGO 2004 NO. 3 >

The gambling revolving fund is subject to the allotment process described in RCW 43.88, but for the purpose of assuring that the fund does not incur a cash deficit or that money in the fund is not spent contrary to law.

AGO 1975 NO. 4 >

The legislature may not by statute (as opposed to a constitutional amendment) require that any candidate filing for the office of governor must file and run jointly with a candidate for the office of lieutenant governor from the same political party, with the names of both candidates to be grouped together on the ballot and a vote for one to constitute a vote for both; and this would be so even if the legislature were to abolish the office of lieutenant governor as a constitutional office and reconstitute it as an office created by statute.

AGO 1985 NO. 6 >

Under the provisions of RCW 49.60.050 the Governor may designate as chairperson of the Washington State Human Rights Commission any member thereof, notwithstanding a previous Governor's designation of a different sitting commissioner as chairperson.

AGO 1967 NO. 6 >

A person under a sentence suspended pursuant to RCW 9.92.060 may receive final discharge and restoration to civil rights only from the governor in his exercise of the pardoning power.

AGLO 1981 NO. 9 >

When requested to do so by the Governor for the purpose of determining the qualifications of a prospective gubernatorial appointee to public office, the Washington State Patrol may (a) provide the Governor with information contained in records then on file with the Patrol, except to the extent that, in a given case, particular information contained in those records is covered by a specific statutory restriction against disclosure; and (b) pursuant to an interlocal cooperation act agreement with the Governor, go beyond its own existing records and, further, search out other information by examining existing records maintained by other law enforcement agencies and/or other custodians and by contacting and interviewing neighbors, past business associates or others deemed likely to have personal knowledge about the prospective appointee.

AGO 1975 NO. 10 >

A certification, approved by the governor under chapter 80.50 RCW, may authorize the withdrawal of such public waters as are required for use in the operation of a thermal power plant.

AGLO 1981 NO. 10 >

Where, at the request of a new governor, the Senate voluntarily returns the names of those unconfirmed appointees then pending before it, the appointees involved are not thereafter entitled to continue in office until the Governor makes new appointments.