Long days and late nights marked this week in the Washington Legislature. Wednesday’s House of Origin cutoff meant lawmakers had to vote bills out of their respective chambers by 5 p.m. to be eligible for further consideration.
Read More… The Legislature closes week eight with bills, bills, and more bills. Lawmakers in both chambers have been working late to pass legislation out of the House and Senate before next week’s critical cutoff date. Bills still moving include legal financial obligation reform, the Voting Rights Act, pro bono services for military service members, and many […]
Read More… Legislators in Olympia last week cleared the first milestone of the session – policy committee cutoff. Friday was the deadline for policy bills in both houses to be voted out of their policy committees. Amid the scramble, week 6 of the legislative session heard testimony and voting on several bills of interest to the WSBA.
Read More… The third week of the legislative session included early floor action to address basic education issues, committee hearings involving property crimes, and bill proposals to change Washington’s public records laws. The state Senate also experienced some changes to its membership with two appointments to positions within the new presidential administration. Sen. Brian Dansel, R-7, resigned […]
Read More… Friday ended Week 2 of the 2017 Washington State Legislative Session and a healthy round of bill introductions, committee hearings, and press conferences probing the process of budget-sausage making. Both fiscal and policy committees continued to hold hearings to flesh out a variety of issues, including increasing penalties for driving under the influence, legal financial-obligation […]
Read More… State lawmakers began their 2017 session with a flurry of activity, with budgetary issues a main priority for legislators, who are under pressure to come up with a plan for funding basic education. Fiscal committees held hearings on Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed 2017-2019 budget. Policy committees opened hearings on statewide civil legal aid services, […]
Read More… The 2017 regular legislative session is now underway in Olympia. Lawmakers have significant issues to tackle this year, including closing a budget deficit upwards of $5 billion that encompasses fully funding basic education under the McCleary decision, mental health obligations, and other emergent public policy needs.
Read More…
With House Bill 2700 going into effect on June 9, 2016, it is important to keep DUI clients informed on sentencing and licensing changes. Here are four updates to DUI laws that your clients may need to know.
Read More…
On Feb. 17, 2016, the Washington State Legislature changed the laws relating to community supervision in juvenile court to address the needs of juveniles who need more extensive mental health and/or chemical dependency treatment (see House Bill 2746). Prior to the amendment, a juvenile sentence of community supervision included only community-based supervision. It was changed to […]
Read More…
Over the course of the last few years, Washington state has seen aggressive new laws and amendments concerning DUIs get passed by the state Legislature. This last session was no different.
Read More…
Fantasy sports is no longer an isolated niche for fans of football or baseball who want additional incentive to watch the game. Daily fantasy sports (or “DFS,” as it’s known for short) have made the industry big business, as players can win money based on putting together teams in a variety of sports.
Read More…
The Washington Supreme Court on Aug. 17, 2015, issued its ruling in Nissen v. Pierce County, which ruled that the personal cellphone of a public employee, if used to conduct public business, is now subject to disclosure under the state’s Public Records Act.
Read More…
As lawyers, we look to case law precedent, but health law is heavily bound to the regulations and laws governing medicine. Because of this, those of us in Washington look to Olympia for making possible changes to our practice and how changes in the practice of medicine and law might impact our clients. Moreover, in […]
Read More…
Almost a month ago, on Jan. 14, 2015, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Mellouli v. Holder, No. 13-1034. This case involves questions of drug possession and deportation and could have a big impact on immigration law.
Read More…
The actions announced by President Obama on Nov. 20 will affect not only millions of undocumented individuals but also many American businesses, foreign national employees and their families, and certain highly skilled innovators.
Read More…
Yesterday was a big, big deal in immigration law. Whether you view the president’s announcement as executive tyranny or — as I do — a long-overdue reprieve, here are some of the core implications for families.
Read More…