Effective January 1, 2019, Washington will become the fifth state to offer paid "family and medical leave" benefits to employees, pursuant to a new state insurance program. This insurance program, codified in Chapter 50A.04 RCW, will provide partial income replacement for eligible workers who are on leave for a covered family and medical reason... continue reading »

In the flurry of winning an election, taking the oath of office may seem like a back burner issue. But ensuring that the oath is administered correctly is essential for starting a term of office on the right foot. Recall that one misplaced word led to President Obama taking his first oath twice out of an abundance of caution... continue reading »

In November 2016, Washington voters approved Initiative 1433, which in significant part established a new mandate that all Washington employers, regardless of their size, provide their employees paid sick leave as of January 1, 2018... continue reading »

The unit rule, states that when land in which various stakeholders have separate interests is condemned by the government in an eminent domain proceeding, the amount of compensation to be paid must be determined as if the property was owned in fee simple absolute by a single owner and without reference to the other attached interests... continue reading »

This Legislative Session Report summarizes new laws that apply to water-sewer districts (Sections I - IV below), and some new laws that apply to other local governments whose actions impact water-sewer districts, such as counties and cities, or who provide related or complimentary services, such as fire districts and public utility districts (Sections V - VIII below)... continue reading »