Washington Attorney General Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of attorney general opinions issued in Washington, with full citations and the original source on every page.
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Does Washington's Open Public Meetings Act require the Eastern Washington University faculty academic senate to hold its meetings in public?
No, on these facts. AGO 2022 No. 2 says the EWU Academic Senate is not subject to the Open Public Meetings Act because (1) the Board of Trustees did not create it (the faculty did), and (2) it does no…
Are Washington's Ferry Advisory Committees and the Ferry Advisory Executive Committee subject to the Open Public Meetings Act?
The local Ferry Advisory Committees yes, because their advice is a legally required step before the Department of Transportation can change fares or service levels. The Ferry Advisory Executive Commit…
Does a Washington school board member or city council member break the law by sharing what was discussed in a properly closed executive session?
Yes, with conditions. The AG concluded that the Open Public Meetings Act creates a duty of confidentiality for information learned in a properly convened executive session, when the information falls …
Could the Washington legislature combine the independent Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials with another state agency, and could the Commission hold its required public meetings entirely by telephone conference call?
Yes to both, with conditions. Combination is allowed only if the Commission's constitutional 'independence' in setting salaries is preserved and any composition change passes by two-thirds vote. Telep…
Can two Washington county commissions hold a joint meeting in person across the county line, or do they have to use video conferencing?
The AG concluded that county commissioners cannot transact county business at a meeting held outside their own county unless a specific statutory exception applies. They can, however, hold a joint mee…
When a quorum of a Washington city council shows up at a noticed standing-committee meeting, does that count as a separate council meeting needing its own special-meeting notice under the Open Public Meetings Act?
Yes, if the council members take action while at the committee meeting. A quorum's mere presence is not enough, but if the assembled council members deliberate, discuss, take testimony, or otherwise t…
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Attorney general opinions in Washington are written by the Washington Attorney General's office in response to questions from state agencies, legislators, and prosecutors. They are not binding like court decisions, but courts and agencies treat them as persuasive guidance on how state law applies. Every opinion above has a plain-English question and short answer, plus a link to the full original text.