Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 2001 NO. 1 >
CITIES AND TOWNS – UTILITIES – Authority of cities and towns to shift costs of street lighting from the general government to utility customers. Cities and towns lack the authority to operate their street lighting as a utility or to impose a charge on the city's utility customers for the cost
AGO 2001 NO. 2 >
TAXATION – MOTOR VEHICLES – CONSTITUTION – Applicability of article II, section 40 of the Washington Constitution to proposed excise tax. Article II, section 40 of the Washington Constitution requires revenues from taxes measured by the volume of motor vehicle fuel to be used exclusively for
AGO 2001 NO. 3 >
PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICTS – PORT DISTRICTS – MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS – TELECOMMUNICATIONS – Authority of public utility districts and rural port districts to provide telecommunications services and facilities to others. 1. Public utility districts and port districts lack authority to sell “excess
AGO 2001 NO. 4 >
ELECTIONS – CONSERVATION – CONSERVATION DISTRICTS – Effect of changing eligibility to vote in conservation district elections on when and how elections are conducted. 1. By removing property qualification as a condition to voting in conservation elections, in Laws of 1999, ch. 305, the Legislature
AGO 2001 NO. 5 >
TAXATION – SALES AND USE TAX – COUNTIES – Authorized uses of local option sales and use tax authorized under RCW 82.14.370. 1. A county may use the local option sales and use tax authorized under RCW 82.14.370 for any of the following purposes if the activity in question relates to a public
AGO 2001 NO. 6 >
COURTS – SUPERIOR COURT – COUNTY CLERK – COUNTIES – Authority of superior court to impose filing deadline on county clerk. 1. A superior court has authority to adopt a rule requiring the county clerk to file papers within specified periods of time. 2. If a county clerk fails to file papers in
AGO 2001 NO. 7 >
PUBLIC FUNDS – CONSERVATION – PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICTS – Authority of Public Utility District to finance certain projects for the purpose of conserving electrical energy. 1. Article VIII, section 10 of the Washington Constitution and RCW 54.16.280 do not authorize public utility districts
AGO 2001 NO. 8 >
PUBLIC DISCLOSURE LAW – POLICE – AUTOMOBILES – Public disclosure status of vehicle accident investigation reports prepared by law enforcement officers. When a law enforcement officer prepares and files a vehicle accident report pursuant to RCW 46.52.030 and/or .070, such a report is not
AGO 2001 NO. 9 >
LEGISLATURE – CONSTITUTION – EQUAL PROTECTION – Constitutionality of House of Representatives' rule requiring consent of both House co-speakers to bring a matter The Courts are unlikely to find unconstitutional a temporary rule of the House of Representatives which requires consent of both co-