Division I of the Court of Appeals held on Tuesday that a proposed Bellingham initiative, which would prohibit the City from installing or using an automated traffic camera system unless approved by a majority of the city council and a majority of the voters, exceeded the lawful scope of the local initiative power. An initiative [...]
Archive for the ‘General Interest’ category
American Traffic Solutions v. City of Bellingham – Automated Traffic Safety Cameras
September 9, 2011Governor’s Partial Veto of Medical Marijuana Bill ESSB 5073
May 2, 2011On Friday, April 29, 2011, Governor Gregoire exercised her partial veto powers, vetoing the portions of ESSB 5073 that would direct state employees of the Department of Health and Department of Agriculture to authorize and license commercial businesses that produce, process, or dispense cannabis. Consequently, most of the surviving provisions of the bill afford increased [...]
Public Service Announcements for Candidates for Elected Office
April 20, 2011Read a new blog entry regarding public service announcements made by candidates for elected office.
Medical Marijuana Legislation Update
March 21, 2011Read an update on the Legislature’s consideration of medical marijuana bills ESSB 5073 and HB 1550.
Arbitration Clauses & Statute of Limitations
October 20, 2010The Washington Supreme Court recently ruled in Broom v. Morgan Stanley DW, Inc. that statutes of limitations under state law do not apply to agreements governed by the Washington Arbitration Act unless the parties expressly agreed that the statute of limitations would apply. This case may apply to municipalities that have incorporated arbitration clauses into [...]
The Latest on Regulation of Firearms
March 25, 2010On February 10, 2010, King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer signed an Order Granting Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment in the case of Chan v. Seattle (“State Court Order”). The State Court Order found that the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation’s Rule/Policy No. P 060-8.14 (“Firearms Rule”) violates a Washington statute, RCW 9.41.290, and enjoined (stopped) the City from enforcing the Firearms Rule. As part of the State Court Order, Judge Shaffer found that “Plaintiffs have a clear legal or equitable right to carry firearms under federal and state constitutions.” The statute that the State Court Order is based on states, in part, that the state “fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state . . . . Cities, towns and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law. . . . Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, or more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed. . . .”
Making Ends Meet in Difficult Economic Times – Evaluate Utility Rates
March 1, 2010Looking for funding sources and ways to recover from reduced sales tax revenues? Think about evaluating utility rates.
