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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for May 2022

Speaking Versus Regulating — The Government Speech Doctrine

Speaking Versus Regulating — The Government Speech Doctrine

May 31, 2022  by  Oskar Rey
Category:  Governance ,  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions

Government speech is analyzed differently by the courts than government regulation of the speech of others. This blog looks at government speech case law, including the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shurtleff v. City of Boston.

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JLARC Public Records Program Reporting Deadline Coming Up Fast

JLARC Public Records Program Reporting Deadline Coming Up Fast

May 25, 2022  by  Ashley Elliott
Category:  Guest Author ,  Public Records Act

The JLARC Public Records Program reporting deadline is July 1. This guest blog covers major findings from the 2020 report as well as answers to frequently asked questions regarding the reporting process. 

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Recruiting for Local Government Positions

Recruiting for Local Government Positions

May 23, 2022  by  Flannary Collins
Category:  Recruitment and Hiring

Many employers are finding employee recruitment challenging. This blog explores some out-of-the-box approaches to attracting new talent, from signing and referral bonuses, telecommute options and other incentives, as well as what to consider if you hire out-of-state staff. 

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HB 1329: Answers to Your OPMA Questions

HB 1329: Answers to Your OPMA Questions

May 19, 2022  by  Steve Gross
Category:  Open Public Meetings Act ,  New Legislation and Regulations

MRSC has gotten a lot of questions from local governments about HB 1329 and how it impacts remote public meetings, public comment, adjournment, and more. This blog addresses some common concerns.

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Agencies Relate Successes, Challenges to VMT Reduction

Agencies Relate Successes, Challenges to VMT Reduction

May 16, 2022  by  Alon Bassok
Category:  Guest Author ,  Climate Change ,  Transportation and Land Use ,  New Legislation and Regulations

Across the state, local governments have been looking at how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehicle miles traveled in their communities. This blog looks at some successful strategies and common challenges. 

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Continued Use of the Public Right-of-Way for Outside Dining

Continued Use of the Public Right-of-Way for Outside Dining

May 12, 2022  by  Steve Butler
Category:  COVID-19 ,  Streets and Sidewalks

This blog examines the key components of local parklet/streatery programs that were established during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and how Washington’s local governments are now evaluating the future of those programs.

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Understanding and Defending Against Distributed Denial of Service Attacks

Understanding and Defending Against Distributed Denial of Service Attacks

May 9, 2022  by  Stevens Fox
Category:  Guest Author ,  Cybersecurity

This guest blog focuses on Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, including how to identify them, types of attacks, and some tips on protecting your mission-critical services against them. 

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Revisiting C-PACER Two Years Later (Part 2)

Revisiting C-PACER Two Years Later (Part 2)

May 5, 2022  by  Steve Gross
Category:  Strategies and Programs

In 2020, Washington counties were offered the chance to adopt a C-PACER program that would encourage capital improvements for commercial properties in order to increase water and energy efficiency. This blog follows up on program implementation two years later.

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OPMA/PRA Emergency Proclamation Will Expire June 1

OPMA/PRA Emergency Proclamation Will Expire June 1

May 2, 2022  by  Steve Gross
Category:  COVID-19 ,  Open Public Meetings Act ,  Public Records Act

Pandemic-related restrictions on public meetings and the processing of public records will no longer be in effect this coming June, per the newly released Proclamation 20-28.16. 

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