May 01
Now that there is going to be a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court, we thought it would be a good time to talk about the nomination process.
The President’s power to nominate Supreme Court Justices granted in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, states that the President “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint … Judges of the Supreme Court …”
The Senate Judiciary Committee considers the nominee’s background and qualifications for the job, holds hearings, and votes on whether to recommend that the full Senate confirm or reject the nominee.
The full Senate debates the nomination and votes on confirmation. A majority vote is all that is required.
Some good resources for more information:
Georgetown University Law Center Library, Supreme Court Nominations Research Guide
Open CRS – Supreme Court Nominations, 1789-2006: Actions by the Senate, the Judiciary Committee, and the President.
Apr 03
The Washington State Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development recently published the 2009 edition of its “Guide for Small Business in Washington State.” The guide provides information on organizations, services, and programs throughout the state that assist small business owners and entrepreneurs. Topics covered include: Selling to the Government, Resources for Entrepreneurs, and Choosing the Right Business Structure. The guide is available online at http://www.choosewashington.com/pdf/2009guideforsmallbusiness.pdf.
Mar 30
During the 2008 regular session, the legislature passed and the Governor signed into law, SB 6818, now codified as RCW 44.48.150. This statute mandates that state revenue and expenditure data be made readily available to the public.
As a result, the office of the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee has teamed up with the Office of Fiscal Management and created www.fiscal.wa.gov. The website provides access to a wealth of information on state expenditures, revenues, workloads, caseloads, performance measures, and performance audits.
Mar 13
The Seattle Public Library has increased internet resources to accommodate Washington job seekers. Patrons now have internet access at the terminals for up to 90 minutes. In addition, access for Microsoft Word document creation is unlimited. For more details on these expanded resources, check out SPL’s Blog for job seekers. For additional tips and resources, check out Job Hunting in a Tough Economy. Check these out and let us know what you think!