Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1983 NO. 1 >

The Washington Open Public Meetings Act (chapter 42.30 RCW) is applicable to meetings of services and activities fees committees at state institutions of higher education.

AGO 1973 NO. 1 >

Under § 24 of Initiative No. 276, requiring periodic reports of the financial interests of candidates and elected officials (except President, Vice‑President and precinct committeemen), a candidate or elected official who is an attorney must include in his report:   (a) The names of all clients from whom he received any compensation during the reporting period for preparing, promoting, or opposing legislation, rules, rates, or standards, together with the amounts of such compensation; and  (b) The names of all of his own governmental, corporate or other business clients from whom he received compensation of $500 or more during the reporting period, together with the approximate amount of such compensation (as described in § 24 (2)) and the consideration therefor; and  (c) If a member of a law firm, the names of all of the firm's governmental, corporate or other business clients from whom the firm received $500 or more during the reporting period ‑ and the consideration therefor; and (d) The name of any "clients" by which the candidate or elected official-attorney was actually employed as a salaried employee during the reporting period.

AGLO 1976 NO. 14 >

Constitutionality of the use of state funds to finance election campaigns; constitutional ability of the legislature to restrict campaign contributions so that persons might only contribute to a candidate if they are residents of the district which that candidate will represent if elected.

AGLO 1981 NO. 14 >

The entitlement granted to purchasers of state‑owned tidelands for oyster growing by § 9, chapter 24, Laws of 1895 (Bush Act) to purchase substitute tidelands at a later date if the original tidelands became ". . . unfit and valueless for the purposes of oyster planting, . . ." was effectively preserved by § 1, chapter 47, Laws of 1935, notwithstanding the general repeal of chapter 24, Laws of 1895 by that latter enactment; however, the later enacted "Gissberg Amendment," chapter 217, Laws of 1971 (RCW 79.01.470), prohibits the state from selling either (a) state‑owned reversionary rights in tidelands previously sold under the Bush and Callow Acts (chapters 24 and 25, Laws of 1895) or (b) other state‑owned tidelands to persons seeking to exercise their right or privilege of substitution under § 9, chapter 24, Laws of 1895, supra.

AGO 1986 NO. 16 >

(1) The definition of governing body, including any "committee thereof," covers both committees composed of members of the governing body and committees composed of nonmembers appointed by the governing body.(2) A committee of the governing body is required to comply with the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act when it acts on behalf of the governing body by exercising actual or de facto decision making power.

AGLO 1975 NO. 32 >

Discussion of the constitutionality of House Bill No.449, pending before the 1975 legislature, insofar as this bill would authorize a housing authority to provide housing to persons other than those of low income and to become involved in the financing of housing projects constructed by private builders.

AGO 1971 NO. 33 >

Applicability of open public meetings act of 1971 to state and local governmental agencies; agency actions or activities covered by the act; notice and other procedural requirements; sanctions or penalties for noncompliance; exemptions.

AGO 1971 NO. 37 >

RCW 84.48.010, in requiring county boards of equalization convened pursuant thereto to meet in open session, requires that all sessions of a county board of equalization which have been convened pursuant to this statute be open to attendance by the public except where the county assessor proposes to offer in evidence information which he has obtained under RCW 84.48.340; where such evidence is offered, the board's session must be closed to the public unless the taxpayer against whom the evidence is offered accedes to the opening of the session to the public, and thereby waives his right to confidentiality.

AGO 1960 NO. 150 >

The legislature may require in all leases and grazing permits for the use of public lands, and all contracts for the sale of valuable materials from public lands, including school lands granted to the state of Washington under § 10 of the Enabling Act, a provision for reimbursement to the state of costs of administration and land conservation measures without violating the terms of the grant or Article IX, § 3, of the Constitution.

AGO 1958 NO. 222 >

The purchaser of the right to dam up water and overflow state land under RCW 79.36.210 may remove dirt, stone and other fill material for use in constructing the dam.