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MRSC Insight Blog

Recent Posts

Recent PRA Developments — Dog Days of Summer Edition

August 16, 2019 by Oskar Rey
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act

This blog article covers a recent Attorney General opinion and a Washington Court of Appeals case, both of which address the Public Records Act.

Ballot Measure Results from the 2019 Primary Election

August 13, 2019 by Steve Hawley
Category: Elections , Fire Protection , Emergency Medical Services , Sales and Use Taxes

Senior Communications Coordinator Steve Hawley reviews some ballot measure results from the recent primary election in this blog post.

2019 Legislative Outcomes for Procurement and Contracting - Part 3: SHB 1295

August 7, 2019 by Judy Isaac
Category: Purchasing and Contracting , New Legislation and Regulations

As part of a series on 2019 legislation that impacts municipal contracting and procurement, this blog post provides an overview of SHB 1295, which makes procedural revisions to the alternate public works contracting methods of Design Build and Job-Order Contracting.

HB 1696: Updating Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act

August 5, 2019 by Summit Law Group
Category: Compensation , New Legislation and Regulations

HB 1696 updates Washington’s existing Equal Pay and Opportunities Act by requiring more transparency on pay ranges and by prohibiting employers from asking for an applicant’s wage history.

Warning: Summer Heat, Enclosed Pets, and Animal Fighting

August 1, 2019 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Animal Control

With its long days and hot temperatures, summer is a great time to remember that pets should not be left unattended in enclosed vehicles. This blog post also reviews 2019 legislation prohibiting animal fighting.

2020 Budget Suggestions is Here!

July 29, 2019 by Toni Nelson
Category: Budgets and Budgeting

MRSC has just published our annual 2020 Budget Suggestions publication for cities and counties. We’ve combed through state population and economic data, as well as the state operating budget and new legislation, in order to make your jobs a little bit easier.

New Bill Provides Incentives for Washington Cities to Increase Residential Capacity

July 26, 2019 by Steve Butler
Category: Housing , New Legislation and Regulations , Development Regulations and Zoning

This past legislative session saw the passage E2SHB 1923, a bill intended to encourage more residential development capacity and increase local governments’ emphasis on affordable housing.

New Workplace Protections for Washington Public Employees

July 22, 2019 by Sarah Doar
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , New Legislation and Regulations

With recent changes in statutes and caselaw, now is a good time for Washington State public employers to review their personnel policies and ensure that they are up to date.

2019 Legislative Outcomes for Procurement and Contracting - Part 2

July 19, 2019 by Judy Isaac
Category: Purchasing and Contracting , New Legislation and Regulations

In Part 2 of this series covering new bills impacting local government procurement and contracting, this blog post covers ESSB 5418, ESB 5958, ESSB 5035, and SSB 5017.

SHB 1406: Understanding the Affordable Housing Sales Tax Credit

July 17, 2019 by Toni Nelson
Category: Housing , New Legislation and Regulations , Sales and Use Taxes

SHB 1406 will provide a new affordable housing revenue stream for those counties, cities, and towns that choose to participate; But to do so, those entities must act fast.

2019 Legislative Outcomes for Procurement and Contracting - Part I: ESSB 5418

July 10, 2019 by Judy Isaac
Category: Purchasing and Contracting , New Legislation and Regulations

This post provides details for ESSB 5418, a complicated bill from the 2019 Legislative Session that impacts unit-price contracts, bid thresholds, and other topics involving municipal procurement.

Financial Policies: Travel, Expense Reimbursement, Credit Cards, and More

July 8, 2019 by Mike Bailey
Category: Accounting , Financial Management

MRSC has partnered with the State Auditor’s Office (SAO) Center for Government Innovation to expand the Financial Policies Tool Kit we first launched two years ago. This blog post covers some of the highlights.

The Hidden Power of the Government Form Letter

July 5, 2019 by Dana Howard Botka
Category: Management

Your routine letters and forms may be creating more internal costs and constituent frustration than you realize. This post shows how reducing the jargon, simplifying the message, and talking to the reader can, instead, win over citizens.

Seven New Election Laws Promote Citizen Participation, Increase Transparency

July 3, 2019 by Linda Gallagher
Category: Elections , New Legislation and Regulations

This blog post covers seven new election-related laws that promote transparency in the process and candidate funding, as well as make it easier for Washington State citizens to participate in local, state, and federal elections.

Affordable Housing Legislative Round-Up

June 26, 2019 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Housing , New Legislation and Regulations

This blog post summarizes bills passed in 2019 that address affordable housing issues.

From Tenant Protections to Vaping: A Peek at New Local Legislation

June 24, 2019 by Laura Crandall
Category: Licensing and Regulation , Housing , New Legislation and Regulations

This post presents a potpourri of interesting legislation that local governments in Washington State have passed, from the City of Kenmore to Clark County.

Promising Practices: Police (and Beyond) Drone Programs

June 20, 2019 by Byron Katsuyama
Category: Law Enforcement

This post highlights promising practices in the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for law enforcement and other purposes.

Overtime Work: Time Off or Additional Pay?

June 14, 2019 by Paul Sullivan
Category: FLSA

This post addresses that age-old question: What is comp time, anyway?

Limits on Pre-Election Litigation Involving Local Ballot Initiatives

June 13, 2019 by Sarah Doar
Category: Elections , Court Decisions and AGO Opinions

A recent court ruling now means that Washington local governments cannot spend public funds to judicially challenge proposed ballot initiatives. This blog post provides an overview of that ruling.