Advocacy & Legislative Action
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Working for You: WSCAI Legal Advocacy In Washington State
Legal advocacy and education are key parts of WSCAI’s mission of serving our members. Community associations are subject to state laws that control how associations are established, governed and managed.
Local Control
This state-based regulatory system has proven successful because it’s predicated on the principle of local control over land-use and real estate decisions.
Sound Public Policy & Standards
WSCAI supports effective state regulation that ensures community association housing is developed, maintained, governed, and managed with sound public policy objectives and standards that protect homeowners, volunteer board members, management and the community association as a whole.
WSCAI’s Legislative Action Committee
Your contribution is critical in helping the LAC fulfill their advocacy mission, communicate with members and policy makers, raise their profile at state capitols, and retain the services of professionals who help CAI shape the debate concerning issues important to community associations and the professionals that serve them.
WSCAI LAC
WSCAI’s Legislative Action Committee (LAC) works on legislative and regulatory matters, advocating in Olympia, WA, on behalf of common-interest communities and industry professionals. Sign up for the LAC Monday Morning Minute—a weekly newsletter during the WA legislative session.
The Washington Legislative Action Committee (CAI WA-LAC) is a volunteer committee of CAI consisting of homeowners and professionals serving community associations. The CAI WA-LAC works with those living and working in community associations to speak on their behalf with one united voice on legislative and regulatory matters that affect community associations.
The CAI WA-LAC works with those living and working in community associations to speak on their behalf with one united voice on legislative and regulatory matters that affect associations.
Responsible for identifying legislative issues of importance to community associations in Washington, the WA-LAC monitors legislation and helps set specific legislative priorities. The CAI WA-LAC builds relationships with and educates state officials to make CAI WA-LAC the go-to resource when they are presented with community association issues.
Our LAC delegates are nominated by our chapter and by the LAC itself, and volunteer their time and energy to benefit all WSCAI members. They also employ government affairs professionals in order to open the doors of decision makers and maintain a high-level of advocacy.
WSCAI’s Legislative Action Committee (LAC)
Chair Hilary Bublitz, CMCA, AMS - send email
Vice Chair Valerie Oman, Esq., CCAL
Treasurer Christian Colunga, RS
Secretary Vanessa Tilberg, CMCA, AMS, PCAM
Board Liaison Jill Jones
Federal Liaison Cameron S. Hazen, CMCA, AMS
Local Liaison Lisa Puliafico
CAI National Rep Ben Price
Lobbyists Krystelle Purkey and Kathryn Hedrick
WSCAI Attorney Advisory Committee Chair Theresa Torgeson, Esq.
Committee Members
- Michael Brandt, Esq.
- Diana Carlson, CMCA
- Greg Coxey, Esq.
- Marjean Knight
- Dean Martin, Esq.
- Patrick McDonald, Esq.
- Tony Rafel, Esq., CCAL
- Bennet Taylor, Esq.
- Yong Zhang
Part of CAI’s mission is to provide legislative advocacy for our members on the federal and state level. Community associations are subject to state laws that control how associations are established, governed and managed. This state-based regulatory system has proven successful because it is predicated on the principle of local control over land-use and real estate decisions.
CAI supports effective state regulation that ensures community association housing is developed, maintained, governed, and managed with sound public policy objectives and standards that protect homeowners, volunteer board members, management and the community association as a whole.
All states have laws governing condominiums or community associations. Many of these laws are modeled after the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (UCIOA) or previous versions of the uniform act. UICOA was drafted by The Uniform Law Commission. The Uniform Law Commission provides states with non-partisan, well-conceived, and well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability to critical areas of state law.
State legislation should:
- Provide for full and fair protection of the consumer, including existing residents in conversion projects, through the disclosure of all material facts relating to the development, operation and ownership of such housing.
- Be comprehensive in its coverage of the material aspects of the development, governance, management, and operation of this housing form.
- Provide adequate standards to promote the viability and sustainability of the community association.
- Provide for flexibility for communities to develop rules for the common good. State legislation should not be used as a solution for individual constituent complaints.
CAI believes that these objectives are best achieved by state governments and not by or through legislative or regulatory procedures at the federal level or at the local government level. The likely diversity of legislative policies adopted by local (city and county) governments would unnecessarily inhibit the process across local jurisdictional lines, while enactments at the federal level would be too broad in scope to achieve these goals and fail to reflect and respond to the unique character and needs of local markets.
In order to accomplish this, CAI’s state Legislative Action Committees (LACs) and local chapters advocate on behalf of members’ interests before law and regulation makers closer to home.
LACs exist to represent the interests of, and to provide regular communications to, CAI members and chapters located within their boundaries with respect to state legislative, regulatory, and amicus curiae activities of relevance to the creation and operation of community associations. LAC delegates are nominated by the chapters and by the LAC itself, and volunteer their time and energy to benefit all CAI members.
Support WSCAI’s LAC Today!
CAI has an online contribution system to help LACs fundraise. LACs may support fundraising efforts by encouraging members and non-members to contribute at www.caionline.org/LACDonate. All major credit cards are accepted, and you can select a specific LAC to receive your contributions.
Federal Level Advocacy
CAI Government & Public Affairs
CAI is your link to legislatures, regulatory bodies, and the courts. CAI’s Government & Public Affairs Department promotes the organizations’ public policies and represents the interests of community association residents and professionals before the United States Congress, federal agencies and a multitude of other policy setting bodies.
Additionally, as state and local governments grow more active, your staff works in close coordination with CAI’s state Legislative Action Committees (LACs) and local chapters to protect members’ interests before law and regulation makers closer to home.
CAI is also very active in preparing amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs in federal and state cases that address issues of significant importance in community association law.
CAI is also very active in preparing amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs in federal and state cases that address issues of significant importance in community association law. This aspect of CAI’s overall government and public affairs program is vital to preserve the legal rights of community associations and their homeowners.
Support Legislative Advocacy for Communities in Washington State at CAIonline.org
CAI has an online contribution system to help LACs fundraise. LACs may support fundraising efforts by encouraging members and non-members to contribute at www.caionline.org/LACDonate. All major credit cards are accepted, and you can select a specific LAC to receive your contributions.