Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Multi-State Class Actions Could Infringe on State Regulators’ Authority, Interfere with Claims Adjudication
Mar 10 2006 // The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) has joined other members of the insurance industry in filing an Amici Curiae brief involving a multi-state class action appeal currently before the Washington...
Wash. Lawmakers Reach Agreement on Unemployment Insurance
Mar 7 2006 // Washington lawmakers have reached a bipartisan agreement on changes to unemployment benefits, a controversial issue that has divided labor and business interests for years. Rep. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma, said it was...
Wash. Senate passes changes in unemployment insurance
Mar 6 2006 // Washington Senate Democrats have approved a bill that would permanently change unemployment laws to pay additional benefits to seasonal workers. The measure, which passed on a 25-22 vote, reverses the state’s move...
People and Places
Mar 6 2006 // Suhr Risk Services of California has named Patricia Coutermarsh chief operations officer. In that role, she will oversee operations from Suhr’s three Northern California branches, ensuring quality service delivery to...
Wash. approves anti-fraud unit, will protect privacy during investigations
Mar 6 2006 // Washington state officials have amended and approved legislation that would create an insurance anti-fraud unit in the insurance commissioner’s office, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of...
Washington On the Hunt for Unregistered Contractors, Electricians
Mar 3 2006 // Six new employees of Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) are canvassing the state for contractors and electricians who are ignoring registration and licensing laws and gaining an unfair...
Booker T. Washington Insurance in Voluntarily Receivership
Mar 3 2006 // Booker T. Washington Insurance Company voluntarily submitted to being placed into receivership late Wednesday in Jefferson County Circuit Court, according to Alabama Insurance Commissioner Walter A. Bell. “I am...
Rep. Jindal to Address Big ‘I’ Young Agents and InsurPac
Mar 2 2006 // Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) will speak at a luncheon held by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) during its National Legislative Conference & Convention in April. Rep....
Wash. Senators Pass Gregoire’s Malpractice Compromise
Feb 24 2006 // Washington State senators have approved changes to the medical malpractice system, endorsing a compromise hammered out by doctors and lawyers in weeks of secret negotiations with Gov. Chris Gregoire. The bill was approved...
Wash. Approves Anti-Fraud Unit
Feb 22 2006 // Washington state officials have amended and approved legislation that would create an insurance anti-fraud unit in the insurance commissioner’s office, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of...
Washington Senate passes emergency readiness bill
Feb 20 2006 // A measure to improve Washington’s emergency readiness passed the state Senate, after a lawmaker agreed to bend to insurance industry insistence that the $5.7 million needed come from the state and not a surcharge on...
News Currents
Feb 19 2006 // Washington Senate passes emergency readiness bill A measure to improve Washington’s emergency readiness passed the state Senate, after a lawmaker agreed to bend to insurance industry insistence that the $5.7 million...
Wash. Senate Approves Insurance Fraud Unit, Prosecutor
Feb 15 2006 // The Washington state Senate has passed a bill creating the state’s first insurance fraud bureau and adding a fraud prosecutor. SB 6234 passed by a 35-10 margin, and now heads to the House for debate.The bill had to...
Wash. Senate Passes Permanent Changes in Unemployment Insurance
Feb 15 2006 // Wash. Senate Democrats have approved a bill that would permanently change unemployment laws to pay out additional benefits to seasonal workers. The measure, which passed on a 25-22 vote, reverses the state’s move...
Pressure Mounts for Wash. House Leaders Considering “Wal-Mart bill”
Feb 15 2006 // Pressure is mounting for majority House Democrats in Washington state to vote on a bill that would force minimum health care spending by large employers, while some lawmakers suggested the issue could be left to the voters...
Pair Arrested in Wash. Arson Case
Feb 15 2006 // Special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Edmonds, Washington police officers have arrested two men for the Dec. 17, 2004, arson of the Gregory Building in Edmonds, and more...
Washington Employer Sentenced for Failing to Pay Workers’ Comp Premiums
Feb 14 2006 // Failing to have a workers’ compensation account and pay premiums has landed an Oak Harbor, Wash., employer in jail. Mark Dahl, sole owner of Catalina Marine Services Inc., pleaded guilty to a Class C Felony in...
Washington L&I Offers Workers’ Comp Cards to Employers
Feb 13 2006 // To help ensure that employers are promptly notified of a workplace-injury claim, Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has created wallet cards that employers can fill out and give to their...
Washington Senate Passes Emergency Readiness Bill
Feb 13 2006 // A measure to improve Washington’s emergency readiness passed the state Senate, after a lawmaker agreed to bend to insurance industry insistence that the $5.7 million needed come from the state and not a surcharge on...
Willis Group to Enter Washington
Feb 10 2006 // New York-based Willis Group Holdings Ltd. has announced plans to open a brokerage office in Washington to service the Inland Northwest. The office will be managed by Curtis Taylor. The company said it hopes to fill a...
