Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1963 NO. 63 >

(1) Unless one of the specific exemptions found in RCW 42.23.030 is applicable, a port district in this state may not lawfully enter into a building construction contract with a corporation in which one of the port commissioners is a stockholder and officer. (2) If a contract is executed in violation of RCW 42.23.030, the contract is void and the penalty upon the public officer in question is prescribed in RCW 42.23.050 and 42.20.080.

AGLO 1976 NO. 63 >

Neither chapter 39.12 nor chapter 39.16 RCW are applicable to labor performed outside of the state of Washington under a public works contract with a state agency or political subdivision of the state of Washington.

AGLO 1973 NO. 79 >

Unless accompanied by correlative new benefits and/or a demonstrable showing of necessity for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the applicable pension system, a legislative act amending the statutes governing the computation of retirement allowances for members of the teachers' retirement system and the public employees' retirement system so as to (1) exclude from consideration any pay increases received by current active members of these two retirement systems after the effective date of such amendments or (2) reduce the levels of retirement allowances ultimately to be received by such members in all cases where the amounts payable to those members from the federal social security program are correspondingly increased, would be unconstitutional.

AGLO 1973 NO. 81 >

Effect of chapter 147, Laws of 1973, Ex. Sess., upon existing insurance plans covering state employees payable solely from employee payroll deductions; necessity for insurance board's approval for continuation of such insurance plans or payroll deductions; scope of liability insurance which may be provided under chapter 147, supra; authority of insurance board to provide liability coverage for employees of a higher educational institution in those instances where the board of regents or trustees does not.

AGLO 1975 NO. 90 >

(1) An employee organization which has obtained the right, under RCW 28A.72.030, to represent the certificated employees of a school district has the right to represent substitute certificated teachers employed by that school district as well. (2) Except to the extent that the records involved are required to be made under RCW 42.17.250, et seq., (Initiative No. 276), a school district is not required to provide an employee organization with the names and addresses of its substitute teachers.

AGLO 1975 NO. 91 >

Chapter 63.14 RCW relating to retail installment sales, does not prohibit the use of the "previous balance" method of computing finance charges for sales governed by that act.

AGLO 1973 NO. 100 >

Extent to which chapter 36.34 RCW applies to the sale, lease or other disposition of county real or personal property in a county which has adopted its own comprehensive procedures for the management of county property under the provisions of chapter 196, Laws of 1973, 1st Ex. Sess.

AGLO 1973 NO. 107 >

(1) Second, third and fourth class cities are required by RCW 35.23.352 to call for bids in connection with the purchase of professional services where the anticipated cost for such services will exceed $2,000, and this statute contains no exception to reflect the possibibility of a conflict between its requirements and a canon of professional ethics which is so written as to prohibit the members of the profession which it governs from responding to a city's call for bids for their service.
 
(2) Counties, code cities and first class cities are not required to bid for professional services and therefore, the governing bodies of such municipalities may exercise discretion in connection with this matter.

AGO 1966 NO. 123 >

A school district may enter into a conditional sales contract, pursuant to chapter 62, Laws of 1965 (RCW 28.58.550), without approval of the voters of the district so long as the contract price, added to existing debt within that class of debt which, under Article VIII, § 6, and RCW 39.36.020, may be incurred without voter approval does not exceed one and one‑half percent of the assessed value of the taxable property in the district.

AGO 1953 NO. 140 >

No power has been granted which permits a county to contract with a safety council to supply the council's services to said county.