Bob Ferguson
Other LanguagesAGLO 1972 No. 35 -
Attorney General Slade Gorton
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May 11, 1972
Honorable Robert S. O'Brien
State Treasurer
Legislative Building
Olympia, Washington 98504
Cite as: AGLO 1972 No. 35 (not official)
Dear Sir:
This is written in response to your letter dated May 4, 1972, requesting our advice with regard to the legal status of the state finance committee, Washington public deposit protection commission and state building authority.
ANALYSIS
We have reviewed your letter and may advise you that we believe your characterization of each of these entities as constituting separate state agencies to be correct ‑ even though all three are comprised of the same three individuals, the governor, lieutenant governor and state treasurer, ex officio.
In point of time, the first of these three agencies to be created was the state finance committee, as provided for in RCW 43.17.070 and as generally governed by chapter 43.33 RCW ‑ codifying legislation which originated as a part of chapter 7, Laws of 1921.
The second of these three identically composed agencies, the state building authority, was created by chapter 162, Laws of 1967, now codified as chapter 43.75 RCW, in conjunction with voter approval of Amendment 51 to the state Constitution at the November, 1968, general election. Its function, of course, is to administer the funding of capital projects for state agencies as provided for in this constitutional amendment.
And finally, the public deposit protection commission, also composed of the governor, lieutenant governor and treasurer, was created by chapter 193, Laws of 1969, Ex. Sess., to administer a new program for securing deposits of public funds in various qualified public depositaries located throughout the state.
[[Orig. Op. Page 2]]
We trust that the foregoing will be of assistance to you.
Very truly yours,
Philip H. Austin
Deputy Attorney General