URGENT BULLETIN  -  MARCH 28, 2000

BANK LOBBYISTS CONTINUE ATTACK ON SSB 5924a  -  -  APPRAISERS MUST ACT NOW
CALL AND WRITE GOVERNOR LOCKE IMMEDIATELY  - -  THIS WEEK IS IT FOR SSB 5924a

The direct telephones to Governor Gary Locke's office are 360-902-4111 and 360-753-6780, and the fax number is 360-753-4110.  The Governor's e-mail address is governor.locke@governor.wa.gov or on the web at www.leg.gov/governor/.  The Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 also will get a message to Governor Locke, but a direct call reaches him quicker.  BE SURE TO LEAVE THE MESSAGE THAT YOU SUPPORT HIS SIGNING SSB 5924a.  The Governor's mail address is Legislative Building, P.O. Box 40002, Olympia, WA 98504-0002, but the clock has run out on that.

Bank and thrift lobbyists are hard at work at the Governor's office to kill this bill, even though it passed both houses of the Legislature with good margins.  Reason has nothing to do with it.  Banks gain a designated seat on the new commission, which they do not now have.  Whatever is their problem, they do not say.  Rules changing the WAC's enacted by DOL and the Commission can not alter their statutory rights in 18.140 RCW. 

The WBA's letter of February 29 is misleading.  As earlier ACOW bulletins have pointed out, the WBA argument against the bill on the grounds of it being bad public policy is specious.  Find them at www.acow-wa.org if you have deleted them from your mailbox.  DO NOT LET "APPRAISERS BECOME VICTIMS OF THEIR OWN APATHY" as one experienced appraiser phrased it recently when discussing the bill.

Appraisers need to launch a communications blitz on Governor Locke IMMEDIATELY.  He has only until April 1 to "take action" on all bills. Appraisers must let him know RIGHT NOW that SSB 5924a is a good bill for good government through shared rule making authority between DOL and the appraisal profession.  Good checks and balances make for good government. That is the basic premise of the American Way set 224 years ago.  We must let the Governor know that appraisers basic purpose is to protect the public.  That is why the U.S. Constitution has the Bill of Rights with the Fifth Amendment (1791) closing with the "just compensation" clause.

Every appraiser needs to do ACT NOW, and to urge other appraisers to do so.  Messages from anyone, especially consumers and other members of the public, and bank executives, are very important.  Friends and family, legislators and other people in government, business people and members of organized labor, all can help.  The broader the base of support that appraisers can demonstrate, the more likely that the Governor will sign SSB 5924a into law.  Appraisers, with a superb effort by T.K. Bentler (ACOW's Lobbyist), have worked hard on this.  Success now is within our reach.  GET ON THIS RIGHT NOW.  Speed is essential!

Letters should point out that SSB 5924a protects the public by establishing a commission with a prescribed voice in rule making, a definite geographic dispersion, and members from the three classes of appraisers, a member representing financial institutions, another to represent county assessors, and may include a public member.  The appraisal profession will be moved toward parity with the manner in which many others (such as real estate brokers and sales persons, mortgage brokers, attorneys, accountants, and funeral directors) are regulated.  Go to www.acow-wa.org to review recent Bulletins and Legislative Alerts for more information that will help you formulate your letters.

The success in bringing SSB 5924a this far is a result of the hard work by T.K. on behalf of ACOW, and by several appraisers who traveled to Olympia to testify at the series committee hearings, and by the many legislative contacts made by appraisers this session.  All are essential parts of the necessary teamwork.  The whole story is too long for this bulletin.  Come to this afternoon's meeting to hear the details.

The Senate concurred in House Amendment to SSB 5924a (note corrected Bill Number) on Tuesday, March 7.  Final passage came on a vote of 45 yeas, 1 nay and 3 absent.  All that is required to establish the Real Estate Appraiser Commission is Governor Gary Locke's signature.  You can make it happen by writing, e-mailing and telephoning his office to urge his support by taking this final and essential action.

SB 6642 has been signed by Governor Locke.  It now is Chapter 35 of the
Laws of 2000.

COMING EVENTS

ACOW's NEXT MONTHLY MEETING is Thursday, April 6, at 5:00 p.m. in Renton, at the office of Market Value Systems (425-226-2855, Barry Wilson), 321 Burnett Avenue South, Suite 308, in downtown Renton (TB=656-C3).

GENERIC CERTIFICATES AND LICENSE NUMBERS have been announced by DOL. 

REGULATION - The next meeting of the Real Estate Appraiser Advisory Committee (REAAC) is set for Friday, April 14, 2000, at 9:00 a.m., again at DOL Tacoma, 2502 East 112th Street (Tho. Bro. 834-B5).  The meeting agenda is being developed at this time.  Attending the REAAC meeting is the best possible forum to discuss your views on what the program should be expected to accomplish.  Two hours of Continuing Education Credit generally is available.  You should have received your copy of the mailing, if your address is current with DOL.  Always check http://www.wa.gov/dol/bpd/appfront.htm for the latest info.

. . . JIM IRISH

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JIM IRISH 206-789-7472    bf777@scn.org www.scn.org/~bf777
SRA Member of the Appraisal Institute
State-Certified General Real Estate Appraiser
10508 Palatine Avenue North, Seattle, Washington  98133-8725
APPRAISERS' COALITION OF WASHINGTON * at * www.acow-wa.org

Washington State Legislature's Toll-free Hot Line is 1-800-562-6000
E-mail "Your Good Member" (Senator/Representative) at member_yo@leg.wa.gov
Find Bills at http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/1999-00/senate (or house)
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MESSAGES ARE A MUST

Contacting your own Senators and Representatives is essential.  Phone and FAX numbers, E-mail and Post Office Addressees, bill copies and any other information which you need can be found by calling the Legislative Hot Line at 1-800-562-6000.  The illustrative model e-mail address for "Your Favorite Legislator" is legislator_yo@leg.wa.gov.  Use the WEB at www.leg.wa.gov for LEGInfo, or access by FTP at ftp.leg.wa.gov or by E-mail at ftpmail@leg.wa.gov.  

APPRAISAL NEWS IN WASHINGTON STATE

See ACOW on the Web at www.acow-wa.org for government and public relations related to appraising.  Request ACOW E-mail from bf777@scn.org until a listserve is implemented.  Sending fewer faxes will help to stretch ACOW's resources.  No part of this effort is too small to matter.  

Go to http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Appraisers-WA to subscribe to newsgroup postings for appraisal business matters of interest in Washington State.  Stay abreast of who has or needs what in comparables.  See what's hot, and what's rot.

PLEASE HELP OUR PROFESSION NOW!

GET INVOLVED, ACOW NEEDS YOU!