03/16/06 FB and L&I settle WISHA suit

Washington Ag March 16, 2006 The Washington Farm Bureau and the Department of Labor and Industries this week announced settlement of a three-year old federal civil rights lawsuit involving inspections of farms and other businesses conducted under the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act, WISHA. Farm Bureau spokesman Dean Boyer says Governor Gregoire's signing of a new law requiring inspectors to get permission or to obtain a warrant before entering private property is what made the settlement possible. Boyer: "In essence we are dropping our lawsuit in return for L&I having worked with us to get this legislation passed and for us working with L&I to get warrant authority for their inspectors. L&I is also paying the Washington Farm Bureau 215-thousand dollars to cover some of our legal expenses in getting the agency to change some of its procedures and in going with us to the legislature to get the law changed." Washington Farm Bureau President Steve Appel says this is the first right of entry law which explicitly states that an agency will seek permission prior to entering private property. He says it should become the model for the procedures of all other agencies. I'm Bob Hoff.