|
Government Of Washington (state)
The government of Washington State is the governmental structure of the State of Washington, United States, as established by the Constitution of the State of Washington. The executive is composed of the Governor, several other statewide elected officials and the Governor's cabinet. The Washington State Legislature consists of the House of Representatives and State Senate. The judiciary is composed of the Washington Supreme Court and lower courts. There is also local government, consisting of counties, municipalities and special districts. Executive The executive branch of the state's government is organized as a plural executive, in which the heads of the principal departments are filled by individually elected officials. In addition to the Governor of Washington, the state constitutional officers are the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the Treasurer, the Auditor, the Commissioner of Public Lands, and the Superintendent of Public Inst ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seal Of The State Of Washington
The Seal of the Washington (state), State of Washington contains a portrait of George Washington, the first president of the United States, as painted by Gilbert Stuart. The outer ring contains the text "The Seal of the State of Washington" and "1889", the year Washington state was admitted to the United States, Union. The seal is featured as the main element on both sides of the flag of Washington. History Territorial seal Johnson K. Duncan designed the Washington territorial seal in the 1850s when he was a U.S. Army lieutenant on Governor Isaac Stevens' surveying expedition. On one side it depicts a log cabin in forest and on the other side, a city in the background with the Goddess of Hope and an anchor depicted in the center. The goddess points at the word "Alki" (Al-ki or Alki), which is a Native American word meaning "bye and bye", which is now the state motto of Washington. This now-defunct territorial seal marks the first usage of the phrase in a context for a Washingtonian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Washington State Court System
In Washington, there are several state courts. Judges are elected and serve four-year or six-year terms. Most judges first come to office when the governor of Washington appoints them after a vacancy is created – either by the death, resignation, retirement, or removal of a sitting judge, or when a new seat on the bench is created by the Washington State Legislature. Supreme Court The Washington Supreme Court is the state supreme court of Washington. It is the highest court in the state and is based in the Temple of Justice at the Washington State Capitol campus in the state capital of Olympia. Almost all the cases that the Court hears are appeals from the decisions of the Washington Court of Appeals. The court has discretionary jurisdiction, meaning it may choose which cases to hear. The court has original jurisdiction over a few cases. These original cases are mostly known as "writ" or "mandamus" actions to force a state official to do or not do an official act of g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Washington State Office Of Superintendent Of Public Instruction
The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, or OSPI, is the state education agency for the State of Washington. The agency is bound by the Washington State Legislature to implement state laws regarding education, including the 1993 education reform act which mandated the controversial WASL standards based assessment. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is sixth (behind the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, and Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ..., respectively) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Washington. The current Superintendent of Public Instruction is Chris Reykdal. Like all members of executive branch, the Superintendent of Public Instruction was established ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Washington State Commissioner Of Public Lands
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages over of forest, range, agricultural, and commercial lands in the U.S. state of Washington. The DNR also manages of aquatic areas which include shorelines, tidelands, lands under Puget Sound and the coast, and navigable lakes and rivers. Part of the DNR's management responsibility includes monitoring of mining cleanup, environmental restoration, providing scientific information about earthquakes, landslides, and ecologically sensitive areas. DNR also works towards conservation, in the form of Aquatic Reserves such as Maury Island and in the form of Natural Area Preserves like Mima Mounds or Natural Resource Conservation Areas like Woodard Bay Natural Resource Conservation Area. The Department was created in 1957 to manage state trust lands for the people of Washington. DNR management of state-owned forests, farms, rangeland, aquatic, and commercial lands generates more than $200 million in annual rev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Washington State Auditor
The state auditor of Washington is an independently elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Washington. Eleven individuals have held the office since statehood. The incumbent is Pat McCarthy, a Democrat and the first woman to occupy the office. Powers and duties Established in 1889, the office of State Auditor was designed by Washington's founders to assure that all public money received and disbursed by state and local governments is spent wisely and in the public interest.Taylor, Briahna. The Citizen's Advocate: History of the Washington State Auditor's Office' Washington State Auditor's Office. Olympia: Washington State Department of Printing, 2007. The state auditor exercises this constitutional power, duty, and authority as "auditor of public accounts" by conducting financial, single, accountability, cybersecurity, and performance audits of local governments and state agencies. In a similar vein, the state auditor i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Washington State Treasurer
The Washington state treasurer is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Washington. Twenty-two individuals have held the office since statehood. The incumbent is Mike Pellicciotti, a Democrat who began his term in January 2021. The treasurer's office is located in the Washington State Capitol. Powers and duties The state treasurer is the chief banker, financier, and investment officer for the state of Washington. In this capacity, the state treasurer receives payments made to the state, accounts for and manages the state's cash flows, and disburses public monies in redemption of warrants drawn by state agencies. The state treasurer is also responsible for issuing, registering, and servicing Washington State's $22.4 billion in outstanding debt. Likewise, the state treasurer directs and administers the investment of the state's operating funds and local government investment pool which, as of 2024, totaled approximately $41.816 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Secretary Of State Of Washington
The secretary of state of Washington is an independently elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Washington. Fifteen individuals have held the office of Secretary of State since statehood. The incumbent is Steve Hobbs, a Democrat. Qualifications To hold office as Secretary of State, a person must be a United States citizen registered to vote in the state of Washington, provide a $10,000 surety bond to the state conditioned on faithful execution of the duties of office, and reside in the city of Olympia, Washington, by the time of inauguration. Only the governor, state treasurer and secretary of state are constitutionally required to live in the capital city. Powers and duties The secretary of state is in effect the guarantor of the continuity and stability of good government in Washington, with his or her role extending to the certification, filing, and preservation of public records, the supervision of all aspects of state ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Attorney General Of Washington
The attorney general of Washington is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Washington and head of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. The attorney general represents clients of the state and defends the public interest in accordance to state law. The office of the attorney general is an executive office elected by the citizens of Washington, and the officeholder serves a four-year term. Authority The powers and responsibilities of the Washington attorney general derive from the Washington State Constitution (Const. art. III, § 1) and the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 43.10). List of attorneys general of Washington The following is a list of individuals who have served as attorney general of the U.S. state of Washington. The attorney general is fifth (behind the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor, respectively) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Washington. References External links Wash ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Washington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. The court is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Members of the court are elected to six-year terms. Justices must retire at the end of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 75, per the Constitution of Washington, Washington State Constitution. The chief justice is chosen by secret ballot by the Justices to serve a 4-year term. The current chief justice is Debra Stephens, Debra L. Stephens, who began her term in January 2025. She previously served as Chief Justice from 2019-2020, serving out the remainder of Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst's term when she retired. Prior to January 1997 (pursuant to a Constitutional amendment adopted in 1995), the post of chief justice was held for a 2-year term by a justice who (i) was one of the Justices with 2 years left in their term, (ii) was the most senior in years of service of that coho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Constitution Of The State Of Washington
The Constitution of the State of Washington is the document that describes the structure and function of the government of the U.S. State of Washington. The constitution was adopted as part of Washington Territory's path to statehood in 1889. An earlier constitution was drafted and ratified in 1878, but it was never officially adopted. 1878 constitution In 1877 Orange Jacobs, Washington Territory's Delegate to U.S. Congress, requested an enabling act that would allow Washington to become a state as soon as a state constitution was drafted and ratified by the voters. At the same time, an act was passed by the Washington Territorial Legislative Assembly to convene a constitutional convention. Without waiting for action by Congress, Washington's voters elected fifteen delegates who met in Walla Walla in June and July 1878 and drafted a constitution. The voters of the territory approved the constitution in November 1878 with a vote of 6,537 in favor and 3,236 opposed. Congress, ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
State Of Washington
Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington (the first U.S. president). Washington borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south, Idaho to the east, and shares an international border with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. Olympia is the state capital, and the most populous city is Seattle. Washington is the 18th-largest state, with an area of , and the 13th-most populous state, with a population of just less than 8 million. The majority of Washington's residents live in the Seattle metropolitan area, the center of transportation, business, and industry on Puget Sound, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean consisting of numerous islands, deep fjords and bays carved out by glaciers. The remainder of the state consists of deep temperate rainforests in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Supreme Court Of Washington
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The court is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Members of the court are elected to six-year terms. Justices must retire at the end of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 75, per the Washington State Constitution. The chief justice is chosen by secret ballot by the Justices to serve a 4-year term. The current chief justice is Debra L. Stephens, who began her term in January 2025. She previously served as Chief Justice from 2019-2020, serving out the remainder of Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst's term when she retired. Prior to January 1997 (pursuant to a Constitutional amendment adopted in 1995), the post of chief justice was held for a 2-year term by a justice who (i) was one of the Justices with 2 years left in their term, (ii) was the most senior in years of service of that cohort, and (iii) (generally) had not previously served as chief j ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
