“By rescinding his earlier Executive Order, President Trump makes one thing perfectly clear: His original travel ban was indefensible — legally, constitutionally and morally.

“The President has capitulated on numerous key provisions blocked by our lawsuit, including bans on Green Card holders, visa holders and dual citizens, an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees, and explicit preferences based on religion.

“We are carefully reviewing the new Executive Order to determine its impacts on Washington State and our next legal steps.

OLYMPIA — The Attorney General’s Office has filed a petition in Thurston County Superior Court seeking to civilly commit an Olympia-area sex offender and prevent his release into the community. 

Elmer Anderson, 62, has four convictions for sexually violent offenses.  In 1988, he was convicted of two counts of indecent liberties against a child under age 14 in King County. Later that year, he was convicted of the same offense in Whatcom County, and in 2001, Anderson was convicted of child molestation first degree in Thurston County.

Washington leads multi-state effort supporting legal protections

OLYMPIA — Late yesterday, Attorney General Bob Ferguson led a coalition of 18 states and the District of Columbia in urging the United States Supreme Court to uphold a lower court ruling recognizing the right of a transgender student in Virginia to use the school bathroom corresponding to his gender identity.  

Legislation provides resources for student borrowers, standards for loan servicers

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Student Loan Bill of Rights legislation passed the Washington House of Representatives on Wednesday with bipartisan support.

House Bill 1440 establishes baseline standards for student loan servicers, in addition to creating a student loan ombuds to help resolve student complaints and to educate borrowers about student loans.

$18M penalty previously awarded, largest in US history

Bomb threat at Stroum Center latest in string of anti-Semitic acts around the country

OLYMPIA — Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued the following statement after a bomb threat Monday afternoon forced the evacuation of the Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island:

“These types of threats have absolutely no place in our society. This was an act of cowardice and intimidation.

Bipartisan bill addressing neglect, financial exploitation passes by 92-4 margin

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s bipartisan legislation to combat both financial exploitation and neglect of vulnerable adults in Washington state passed the House of Representatives today by a vote of 92-4.

The measure, House Bill 1153, now heads to the Senate.

Administration had asked for case to be held until new order is issued

Decision to “rescind and replace” recognizes the obvious: Executive Order fatally flawed

Unanimous victory for equality

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Supreme Court today unanimously upheld a lower court decision in Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s consumer protection lawsuit against a Richland florist. The court agreed with Ferguson that Arlene’s Flowers violated Washington’s Consumer

Protection Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) by refusing to serve a same-sex couple seeking to buy wedding flowers in 2013.