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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for January 2019

Court Rules that Proposed Initiative Allowing Unfettered Questioning of Immigration Status by City Employees Not Subject to Initiative

Court Rules that Proposed Initiative Allowing Unfettered Questioning of Immigration Status by City Employees Not Subject to Initiative

January 30, 2019  by  Jill Dvorkin
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions

This blog post will summarize the recent decision in Global Neighborhood v. Respect Washington, as well as provide links to resources regarding the power of initiative and referendum for Washington cities and counties.

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Does the Shutdown Mean Shutoffs?

Does the Shutdown Mean Shutoffs?

January 23, 2019  by  Laura Crandall
Category:  Utilities - Billing and Collection

For utility deferments and fee waivers, the key is to have policies in place to avoid gifting of public funds, and to ensure that the jurisdiction is not being arbitrary in its decision-making. 

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Reading the Economic Tea Leaves: When and How to Prepare for an Eventual Downturn

Reading the Economic Tea Leaves: When and How to Prepare for an Eventual Downturn

January 18, 2019  by  Mike Bailey
Category:  Financial Management

While it's impossible to predict the economic future, this blog post pulls together insights from a variety of sources to help you try to understand when and how to prepare for a slowing economy.

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Pop Quiz: Family Leave and Sick Leave Edition

Pop Quiz: Family Leave and Sick Leave Edition

January 14, 2019  by  Paul Sullivan
Category:  Leave Policies

Take a short quiz to test your understanding of the Paid Family Leave and Sick Leave for employees.

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FCC’s Declaratory Ruling on 5G Small Cell Wireless Facilities

FCC’s Declaratory Ruling on 5G Small Cell Wireless Facilities

January 8, 2019  by  Laura Crandall
Category:  Telecommunications

The FCC recently issued a 2-part Declaratory Ruling with the intent to streamline the deployment of 4G and 5G mobile communication infrastructure. Key points of the ruling are listed and briefly discussed in this post.

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Year End is a Busy Time for Finance

Year End is a Busy Time for Finance

January 4, 2019  by  Toni Nelson
Category:  Financial Reporting

This article reviews some of the most important year-end reporting requirements and deadlines, including the "open period" and federal W-2, W-3, and 1099-MISC reporting requirements.

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Nothing but a Number: Age-Based Employment Discrimination After Mount Lemmon

Nothing but a Number: Age-Based Employment Discrimination After Mount Lemmon

January 3, 2019  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Recruitment and Hiring ,  Termination and Retirement

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Mount Lemmon held that all local governments, including those with less than 20 employees, are subject to the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). How does that impact local governments in Washington?

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