Robert Watson Ferguson (born February 23, 1965) is an American lawyer and politician who is the 18th Attorney General and currently Washington, serving since 2013. He was first elected as Attorney General in 2012, and re-elected in 2016. Before serving as Attorney General, Ferguson was a member of the King County Council. Ferguson is a member of the Democratic Party.
Video Bob Ferguson (politician)
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Bob Ferguson is the fourth generation of Washington. His great-grandparents settled in the 19th century on the Skagit River, near what is now Marblemount. The Ferguson family has deep roots in Everett, Washington. His grandparents started the family business, the meat market, in 1900.
After the death of his grandfather, Ferguson's grandmother, Edith Hausmann, operated the meat market while raising five children during the Depression. Ferguson's grandfather was a member of the first graduation class at Everett High School in 1910. Ferguson's father, Murray Ferguson, was born in Everett, working as a Boeing facility manager. Ferguson's mother, Betty (nÃÆ' Â © e Hausmann) Ferguson teaches a special education in Seattle's public school. Both are Everett high school graduates. Betty and Murray Ferguson have seven children.
Ferguson graduated from Bishop Blanchet High School in 1983. He attended the University of Washington where his fellow students chose him as the Student Leader.
After graduating from the University of Washington, Ferguson joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest and headed an emergency services office for one year.
Maps Bob Ferguson (politician)
Legal career
Ferguson went to law school at New York University (NYU). During law school, Ferguson received a grant to provide legal assistance to the Yaqui tribe in Guadalupe, Arizona. Ferguson lives in Guadalupe and helps community members in a variety of legal needs. during this time he enjoyed reading legal documents and case manuscripts given by Uncle Hans Frank.
After receiving his NYU Juris Doctor, Ferguson began his legal career in Spokane, where he served as a legal employee for Chief Judge William Fremming Nielsen of the Federal District Court for Eastern Washington, designated by George H. W. Bush. He then signed up for Justice Myron Bright of the Circuit Court of Appeals 8 in the Midwest, designated by Lyndon Johnson.
After his post, Ferguson returned to Seattle and joined Preston Gates & amp; Ellis (now K & L Gates) as a litigator, in which he represents individuals, businesses, local governments, and Washington companies. As a lawyer, Ferguson worked with a legal team that successfully defended the taxpayer from paying the cost swelling associated with the construction of Safeco Field. He was part of a legal team that successfully challenged the constitutionality of Tim Eyman's initiative.
Ferguson worked on cases involving software piracy and managed to sue companies that stole intellectual property from Washington companies. Ferguson also donated hundreds of hours of free legal advice to nonprofit organizations. For example, he helped the Kruckeberg Botanical Gardens Foundation as a legal advisor to turn six hectares of parks into a public park in Shoreline.
After four years at Preston Gates & amp; Ellis, Ferguson decides to run for King County Council.
King County Council
Selection
Ferguson was first elected to the Metropolitan King County Council in 2003 by defeating Cynthia Sullivan, a veteran of the Council for 20 years. Ferguson managed to beat Sullivan with about 500 votes. At that time, the council was elected on a partisan basis. Ferguson does not face election opponents in a highly democratic district. During his campaign to shift Sullivan, Ferguson knocked on 22,000 doors in the district.
As a result of the board's reduction, redistricting placed Ferguson in the same district as another Democratic District Council member, Carolyn Edmonds of Shoreline. Ferguson defeated Edmonds. He went on to defeat Republican challenger Steven Pyeatt in the general election, winning about 74% of the vote.
Tenure
Prior to being elected Attorney General, Ferguson served in the King County Council, where he represented Council District 1, which included north-east Seattle, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, Kirkland, and parts of Woodinville.
During his time at the Board, Ferguson served as Chair of the Regional Policy and Law Committee, Human Justice and Services and twice chaired by the Justice and Judicial Committee of the Council. In 2005, he sponsored a law to place ballot papers before King County voters earned income to improve health care for veterans and military personnel. County residents approve of the action. In 2011, King County voters renewed Veterans and Human Services Levies.
When the King County Executive office proposed spending $ 6.8 million on new furniture for the new County office building, Ferguson encouraged County to buy used furniture, saving taxpayers more than $ 1 million.
Ferguson is leading an effort to raise $ 50 million annually to help those suffering from mental illness and chemical dependence. He received the Booth Gardner Mental Health Champion award from Sound Mental Health in 2011. Ferguson successfully fought $ 5 million to fund community health clinics at Northgate and Bothell are threatened with closure.
Ferguson served on the Councils of Youth Justice in the Gang. He encouraged civilian oversight of the King County Sheriff's office. In 2006, he helped lead efforts to create permanent oversight in the King County Sheriff's office.
He sponsors the Open Space Preservation Act, which protects 100,000 hectares of open space. Ferguson wrote a law that prevents King County from doing business with a company known to repeatedly violate wage theft laws.
In 2007, Ferguson sponsored a law that increased sales tax by one-tenth of one percent to expand mental health, chemical dependence and therapeutic court program to reduce the expensive and unnecessary involvement in the criminal justice system by mentally ill and chemically dependent individuals , and to save lives. The Council approved the action on bipartisan votes. In 2009, Ferguson sponsored a bi-partisan law requesting the Executive to streamline the procurement process in County. Together with Republican Kathy Lambert, Bob is sponsoring a law that removes the 15 page paper form required for a contract with King County (Ordinance 2010-0186).
Ferguson also worked to reform the County government by linking the wages of workers to the economy, leading the Seattle Times to write, "This is a new thing that needs to be in an area that can not afford the existing approach.These changes will not be possible without the hard work of the Republicans Kathy Lambert and Bob Ferguson's Board Chairman... Ferguson took a lot of manpower for sticking his neck at a policy that might be against his constituency.Ferguson's work should inspire other Democrats on the council to join him the county forward into the 21st century.
He sponsored a law promoting the use of small businesses in fulfilling county contracts. (Ordinance 2007-0146). Ferguson sponsored the law in 2011 to create a program "Small Business Accelerator". He refuses to pay raise during difficult economic times. Ferguson also helped lead the effort for an independent audit of the regional electoral office.
In 2010, Ferguson sponsored the size of a ballot that would increase sales taxes to provide additional revenue to King County. Sales Tax and Use of Proposition No. 1. Size failed 54.9% to 45.1%. He wrote laws that reformed the district public record process to ensure that citizens can easily obtain records and monitor their governments.
Ferguson disajikan dengan Landmark Deeds Award for Public Service oleh Washington Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Human Services Center selected Ferguson as the recipient of the 2008 Annual Dorrit Pealy Award for Outstanding Community Service. Lifeline Food gives Ferguson a Special Appreciation Award at the annual Ending Hunger Awards lunch. In 2010, Ferguson was selected to join the Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowship, a program that brings together the most promising political leaders in the country.
Attorney General Washington
On November 6, 2012, Bob Ferguson defeated fellow King County Council Member, Reagan Dunn to be elected as the 18th State Attorney General of Washington. Ferguson won by a margin of over 200,000 votes, receiving 53.48% of the votes to Dunn 46.52%.
Ferguson won despite an unprecedented amount spent by a group outside the state of Washington state, the Attorney General. During the campaign, Ferguson visited all 39 Washington states.
Arlene's flower demands
In April 2013 Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Barronelle Stutzman and Richland florist Arlene's Flowers in response to a complaint by Robert Ingersoll and his fiancé, Curt Freed.
Ferguson claimed the business violated Washington's consumer protection law after Stutzman refused to give flowers for same-sex marriage. The attorney general's office sent a letter to Stutzman informing him that he violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act. A letter by Ferguson called for a $ 2,000 Dollar penalty and to celebrate all the same sex trade unions. Stutzman sent a reply that it was against his religious beliefs to do so. The Office of the Prosecutor General followed up with a phone call to Stutzman, gave him the opportunity to comply with the law, stop legal action, and avoid paying fees or fees. Stutzman responded with a letter from his lawyer. The move was criticized by Stutzman's lawyer, who declared Ferguson not having the legal authority to file a lawsuit and that it was uncertain whether it was "a clear case of discrimination" or not. The couple's lawyers engaged in the American Civil Liberties Union then sued the florist for damage.
The couple had been clients of Stutzman for nine years until they asked for his services for their marriage, which he refused based on his religious views on same-sex marriage. Stutzman filed a counter-claim, stating that Ferguson's lawsuit was an attempt to force him to violate his religious beliefs. Stutzman and his Alliance Defending Freedom lawyers demanded that the lawsuit be dismissed, as they alleged that the lawsuit did not indicate that the couple had suffered financial injury to their business or property. Judge Sal Mendoza Jr. decided that the lawsuit could continue, because of the time and travel spent traveling to Arlene's Flowers and finding another florist considered a financial injury.
On February 18, 2015, Benton County Superior Court Judge Alexander Ekstrom ruled that he had violated the country's anti-discrimination laws. On February 19, 2015, Stutzman said he would appeal the verdict. On March 27, 2015, Judge Ekstrom ordered Stutzman to pay a $ 1,000 fine, plus $ 1 for court fees and fees.
On November 15, 2016, Ferguson personally argued at the Washington Supreme Court hearing, held before an audience at the Bellevue College auditorium. On February 16, 2017, the Supreme Court of Washington voted unanimously against the florist. According to the court opinion, Judge Sheryl Gordon McCloud writes that both the US Free Constitution Training Clause and the Free Speech Clause do not entitle the shop owner to refuse participation in marriage.
Comcast lawsuit
On August 1, 2016, Ferguson announced that the State of Washington would sue Comcast's telecommunications company for deceptive consumer practices. The $ 100 million consumer protection claim filed more than 1.8 million individual violations of the Consumer Protection Act of the country.
Re-election
In 2016, Ferguson only faces Joshua Trumbull, a Libertarian with no political experience. Ferguson spent the little money he collected for the campaign, and he was reelected, 69% to 31%. He collects the most votes from every country candidate and carries 37 of the 39 states.
Executive Order 13769
President Donald Trump signed the 13769 Executive Order on 27 January 2017, effectively banning entry into the United States for ninety days for non-citizens and refugees from seven Middle Eastern countries. On January 30, Ferguson and Governor Jay Inslee announced that the State would file a lawsuit against President Trump, as well as the relevant administrative secretary, to cancel the order, arguing that it was a case of religious discrimination.
Ferguson filed suit within 72 hours, with support statements from Washington-based companies, including Amazon and Microsoft. In the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington on February 3, 2017, US District Judge James L. Robart decided to support Ferguson for a temporary restraining order for the imposition of a national travel ban.
Personal life
Bob Ferguson is an enthusiastic mountaineer, backpacker, and birder, and has climbed hundreds of miles off the Washington track and climbed many of the highest peaks of the state. After college, Ferguson traveled the country to see baseball games in every major league stadium.
Ferguson is a chess master who has an international value. His game has appeared in local, national and international chess publications, and he has twice won the Washington State Chess Championship. In 2014, he has a rating of 2146, and currently holds a FIDE 2232 rating. He and his wife Colleen live in Maple Leaf neighborhood in Seattle with their twins.
Electoral history
References
External links
- Campaign website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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