OLYMPIA — The Washington State Archives has announced a series of open government training workshops throughout Washington in March in support of a state law that was introduced by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and passed in 2014.

The Open Government Trainings Act requires training for public officials, public disclosure officers and state-appointed records officers.

Agencies Arm Consumers Against ID Theft and Fraud

SEATTLE — Better Business Bureau is partnering with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office for National Consumer Protection Week, March 1-7. Both agencies are committed to providing tools and tips to protect consumers from scams and to help them make better purchasing decisions.

YAKIMA — The Attorney General’s Office announced today that trial has begun in Yakima County Superior Court in the case of State of Washington vs. David Ramirez, a sexually violent predator civil commitment proceeding.

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PORT ORCHARD — A Kitsap County jury has decided that repeat sex offender George Edward Hancock, Jr. is a dangerous predator and must be confined in the State’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.  In the interest of public safety, prosecutors from Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Sexually Violent Predator Unit (SVP) have been fighting since July 2014 to prevent Hancock’s release into the community.

This release is compliments of the Washington State Department of Revenue

Contacts:

David Postman, Office of Governor Jay Inslee  |  360.902.4136

Peter Lavallee, Office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson  | 360.586.0725

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today endorsed the decision by the Federal Communications Commission to preserve net neutrality and protect the open Internet. 

Violent felon remains in custody pending further proceedings

MOUNT VERNON — The Washington Attorney General’s Office has filed a petition in Skagit County Superior Court seeking to civilly commit a sex offender and prevent his release into the community.

John Bettys, 40, has been convicted of three sexually violent offenses: one count of indecent liberties against a child under age 14 in 1989, and two counts of first-degree rape of a child in 1993. He was also convicted of child molestation third degree in 2013.

Statement of Attorney General Bob Ferguson concerning Arlene’s Flowers same-sex marriage discrimination case

OLYMPIA — In light of yesterday’s Benton County Superior Court ruling that a Richland florist violated Washington’s Consumer Protection Act by refusing to serve a same-sex couple seeking to buy wedding flowers in 2013, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson today released the following statement:

OLYMPIA — A Benton County Superior Court ruling today held that a Richland florist violated Washington’s Consumer Protection Act by refusing to serve a same-sex couple seeking to buy wedding flowers in 2013.

In April 2013, the Attorney General’s Office filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Arlene’s Flowers and its owner and operator, Barronelle Stutzman, for refusing to provide flowers to customer Robert Ingersoll for his wedding to his husband, Curt Freed.