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Full-Text Articles in Law

A New Approach To Statutory Interpretation In Washington, Philip A. Talmadge Jan 2001

A New Approach To Statutory Interpretation In Washington, Philip A. Talmadge

Seattle University Law Review

In this article, I will first explore Washington's existing law, both statutory and judicial, on statutory interpretation. I will then evaluate the mechanisms for construing statutes derived from common law and legislative sources. Finally, I will recommend a new paradigm for statutory construction so that legislative intent may be more accurately conveyed to the courts, abandoning many of the time-encrusted canons in favor of principles of interpretation adhering more specifically to the legislature's actual statutory language.


The Gap Between Informational Goals And The Duty To Gather Information: Challenging Piecemealed Review Under The Washington State Environmental Policy Act, Keith H. Hirokawa Jan 2001

The Gap Between Informational Goals And The Duty To Gather Information: Challenging Piecemealed Review Under The Washington State Environmental Policy Act, Keith H. Hirokawa

Seattle University Law Review

In 1971, Washington enacted the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), which requires agencies to make a threshold determination of whether a project is likely to significantly affect the environment and, where such impacts are likely, to produce an environmental impact statement (EIS). One problem faced in implementing the goals of SEPA is the practice of "piecemealing." Part I of this Article introduces the piecemeal problem by describing three common piecemeal situations. The first situation occurs when a project proposal is divided into such small parts that the environmental impacts from each individual part appear insignificant and the impact from the …