From left: Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, and WR State and Local Government Affairs Manager, Crystal Leatherman.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson invited the WR Policy and Government Affairs team, along with other business community members, to preview his legislative priorities and participate in a roundtable discussion. The annual event provides an opportunity for the AG to discuss the issues his office is prioritizing during the legislative session and hear from the business community about their priorities and how we can work together to improve our state.
The AG will be introducing five request bills. Among the AG’s proposed bills, two particularly relevant to WR include:
Artificial Intelligence Task Force
- Prime Sponsors: Senator Nguyen (D, 34th LD) and Rep. Couture (R, 35th LD)
- Objective: Establish a task force comprising tech industry professionals, business representatives, community advocates, labor, educators, and students.
- Purpose: Deliberate on generative artificial intelligence, offering recommendations to the legislature.
- Focus Areas: Addressing innovation, public risks, racial equity, civil rights, data privacy, workforce impacts, and safeguarding generative AI innovation.
Enhanced Antitrust Penalties
- Prime Sponsor: Senator Trudeau (D, 27th LD)
- Proposal: Increase maximum penalties for price-fixing, illegal collusion, and antitrust violations to three times the illegal gains or avoided losses.
- Rationale: Promote fair competition, ensuring accountability for those violating antitrust laws, with penalties contributing to the general fund.
The AG introduced his lead assistant AGs and legislative team members responsible for supporting his legislative agenda. In addition to discussing the legislative priorities, AG Ferguson and his team thanked WR Sr. VP of Government Affairs, Mark Johnson for the association’s collaborative work on developing the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which resulted in the first criminal prosecution by the crime unit.
WR appreciates the productive dialogue and looks forward to working closely with AG Ferguson and his team on areas of shared concern.
