Fortune 500 company will adopt new policy effective April 1, 2014

SEATTLE — After Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a petition in court regarding its investigation of O’Reilly Automotive Inc.’s policy of not providing healthcare benefits to the same-sex spouses of its Washington employees, O’Reilly announced it will now extend healthcare coverage to same-sex spouses of its employees in Washington and other states recognizing marriage equality. This new healthcare policy is effective April 1, 2014.

OLYMPIA…Attorney General Bob Ferguson made the following statement regarding his meeting this morning with Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz and Governor Jay Inslee regarding progress on Hanford cleanup.
 
“The Attorney General’s Office has a long-standing commitment to the people of Washington to hold the federal government legally accountable for environmental cleanup at Hanford.  
 

 O’Reilly refuses to provide records requested by the Attorney General

SEATTLE — The Washington State Attorney General’s Office today filed a petition in King County Superior Court to enforce a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) issued to O’Reilly Auto Parts.

$173 million global settlement resolves allegations involving shingles patch

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced a $173 million global settlement with Endo Pharmaceuticals. Endo makes the Lidoderm 5% patch commonly used in treating shingles. Washington's share of the settlement is more than $1 million, which will be split between Washington’s State Medicaid program and the federal government.

Act will help protect elderly veterans against scammers

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Pension Poacher Prevention Act today passed the Legislature with strong bipartisan support. This measure addresses the growing problem of “pension poachers” who try to scam elderly veterans. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.

Release compliments of the Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries

 TUMWATER — A Bothell landscaper who claimed he was suffering from an on-the-job injury has admitted to stealing state workers’ compensation benefits.

Jose De Jesus Bernal-Ruiz pleaded guilty to second-degree theft this week in King County Superior Court, according to the Washington Attorney General’s Office. The 39-year-old Bothell resident also agreed to repay the Department of Labor & Industries more than $71,000 in vocational and cash benefits he should not have received.

OLYMPIA — A bill jointly requested by Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Governor Jay Inslee to increase economic protections for Washington’s military personnel and veterans passed the Legislature today with strong bipartisan support. The Governor looks forward to signing it into law as soon as it hits his desk.

Ferguson and Inslee worked with Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, and Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, to secure approval of House Bill 2171.

Requires training for public officials to improve transparency and reduce lawsuits

Bill now heads to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s bill to strengthen Washington state’s open government laws by requiring training for most public officials has passed the Legislature and is on its way to the Governor’s desk.

AGO offers multiple ways to help consumers

SEATTLE — It is almost impossible not to be a consumer. Whether a purchase is made online or in a store down the street, whenever you engage in some kind of business transaction you are a consumer.

A key priority for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office is to safeguard consumers from unfair and deceptive business practices.

Vessel sunk near Finley, discharged fuel and oil into Columbia, cleanup exceeds $100K

KENNEWICK—Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced criminal charges today in Benton County District Court against the owner of a former salmon fishing trawler who abandoned his sunken vessel in the Columbia River near Finley, Wash. in July 2013. This is the first state-initiated derelict vessel prosecution in Eastern Washington.