Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1974 NO. 12 >

(1) In view of a recent ruling by the United States Supreme Court with respect to the constitutionality of filing fees in the case of indigent persons seeking to become candidates for public office, the requirements of RCW 29.18.050 are no longer constitutionally enforceable with respect to candidates for office in the state of Washington who wish to file for public office but who are unable to pay the filing fees prescribed by that statute. (2) The secretary of state has the authority under RCW 29.24.080 to adopt a rule or regulation requiring any candidate claiming to be unable to pay the fee required by RCW 29.18.050 for the particular office he is seeking to execute and file with his declaration of candidacy a supplemental affidavit attesting to that fact.

AGLO 1977 NO. 12 >

The appointment of a budget officer by a board of county commissioners under RCW 36.32.440 does not relieve the county auditor of his responsibilities under RCW 36.40.010-36.40.050 in connection with the preparation of preliminary county budgets.

AGO 1976 NO. 12 >

If, in order to attain "maximum net benefits" and protect the public welfare and interest against the long range detrimental effects of a perpetual water use not so restricted, the state department of ecology, in issuing a surface water right permit pursuant to RCW 90.03.290, determines to include a provision authorizing use of such waters unconditionally for specified initial period of time (e.g., fifty years), with any authorization to withdraw for further periods of time made dependent upon subsequent determinations by the department involving public needs for the waters involved, that action is likely to be upheld by the courts.

AGO 1983 NO. 12 >

(1) Although RCW 18.64.020 prohibits the practice of pharmacy by persons other than licensed pharmacists, it is nevertheless lawful for certain practitioners other than licensed pharmacists (generally those who are authorized to prescribe such drugs) also to dispense both legend drugs and controlled substances. (2) The State Board of Pharmacy is authorized by statute to promulgate rules governing the dispensing of drugs by those other persons, as well as by licensed pharmacists.

AGO 1979 NO. 12 >

(1) RCW 43.01.040, et seq., relating to annual leave for state officers and employees, applies to the legislative and judicial branches of government as well as to the executive branch. (2) RCW 43.01.040, et seq., applies, equally, to state employees in the classified service and to those occupying exempt positions; accordingly, with a single possible exception relating to employees of a state institution of higher education, no such employees are entitled to have vacation leave accumulated in excess of 30 working days without having a statement of necessity for deferral of leave on file with their particular employing agency. (3) RCW 43.01.040, et seq., relating to annual leave, applies to individuals appointed by the governor to an agency directorship or as a member of a state board or commission subject to gubernatorial appointment. (4) While it is the Governor's Office which is the "employing office" with which an application for extension of annual leave must be filed by an agency director or board or commission member referred to in (3), supra, it is the convenience of the agency, office, department or institution to which such individual is assigned which is determinative of the propriety of the extension.

AGO 1993 NO. 12 >

1.  RCW 42.17.125, which governs the personal use of campaign contributions, does not authorize the use of such contributions for nonreimbursed public office related expenses.2.  Prior to Initiative 134, RCW 42.17.095 authorized a public officer to use surplus campaign contributions for nonreimbursed public office related expenses.  Initiative 134 repealed this authority such that surplus campaign contributions can no longer be used for this purpose.3.   Although campaign contributions and surplus campaign contributions may not be used for nonreimbursed public office related expenses, a public office may solicit gifts for the specific purpose of defraying nonreimbursed public office related expenses.4.   If a public officer solicits gifts to defray nonreimbursed public office related expenses, such gifts must be reported to the Public Disclosure Commission pursuant to RCW 42.17.240 and .2415.

AGO 1978 NO. 12 >

(1) Because of the common law doctrine of incompatible public offices, the same individual may not simultaneously serve as a port district commissioner and as mayor of a town (fourth class city) which is situated entirely within the boundaries of such a district.   (2) Unless an individual who is so serving voluntarily resigns from one or the other of the two incompatible public offices, he will be vulnerable to ouster, from one or the other, by court action; however, based upon the de facto officer doctrine, even though the simultaneous holding of the two offices here in question is not permissible, this does not mean that the past actions of the individual involved in the position which is not retained would thereby be null and void.

AGO 1972 NO. 12 >

A county civil service commission for sheriff's office employees, organized and operating under the provisions of chapter 41.14 RCW, may not promulgate a blanket regulation excluding persons otherwise qualified under RCW 41.14.100 from making application for any civil service position in a sheriff's department, regardless of its duties, on the basis of their being less than twenty-one years of age and thus not legally able to enter a tavern for law enforcement purposes; however, in those selected classes of positions which require the employee to enter taverns for these purposes, a requirement that the applicant be at least twenty-one years of age, and thus legally able to enter a tavern, would be valid.

AGLO 1980 NO. 13 >

As amended by § 1, chapter 132, Laws of 1979, RCW 36.28.180 does authorize the expenditure of county money for civilian clothing for nonuniformed sheriff deputies such as detectives, but only to the extent that the civilian clothing in question has been determined to be necessary for the performance of their official duties.

AGLO 1981 NO. 13 >

(1) RCW 19.28.330 does not authorize the director of Labor and Industries to make expenditures from the Electrical License Fund without a legislative appropriation. (2) Exercising its authority under RCW 19.28.330, the Board of Electrical Examiners may, in effect, require the Department of Labor and Industries to reduce expenditures from the Electrical License Fund below the levels contained in the budget developed under the provisions of the Budget and Accounting Act, chapter 43.88 RCW, by disapproving, in advance, particular expenditures or kinds of expenditures.