Anderson, Leech & Morse, Inc. v. Washington State Liquor Control Board

575 P.2d 221, 89 Wash. 2d 688, 1978 Wash. LEXIS 1361
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 16, 1978
Docket44622
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 575 P.2d 221 (Anderson, Leech & Morse, Inc. v. Washington State Liquor Control Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson, Leech & Morse, Inc. v. Washington State Liquor Control Board, 575 P.2d 221, 89 Wash. 2d 688, 1978 Wash. LEXIS 1361 (Wash. 1978).

Opinions

Horowitz, J.

Appellants, tavern owners, appeal a declaratory judgment upholding a Washington State Liquor Control Board (Board) regulation, WAC 314-16-125, which, among other things, prohibits "topless table dancing" on licensed premises. The Supreme Court accepted certification from the Court of Appeals, Division Two.

Each appellant holds a license issued by the Board for the sale of alcoholic beverages and also holds a license issued by the city or county in which the licensee's business is located to provide entertainment on the licensee's business premises. Where permitted by the local jurisdiction the entertainment includes topless table dancing. Table dancing includes "topless table dancing", i.e., where the entertainer dances topless for a small group of patrons much nearer to them than 6 feet and not on a raised platform. The entertainer generally receives a fee from patrons.

The Board filed a notice of intention to adopt, amend, or repeal rules and gave the required notice of hearings. Notice of intention to adopt regulation WAC 314-16-125 was later given. Appellants' attorney objected to the adoption of proposed WAC 314-16-125 both in writing and in oral presentation at the hearings. His principal objection was the regulation proposed was not within the statutory authority of the Board.

The Board nevertheless adopted the regulation proposed. That regulation prohibits acts or conduct on licensed premises generally characterized in the title of the regulation as "suggestive, lewd and/or obscene." The nature of the acts prohibited include the following:

WAC 314-16-125 Suggestive,. Lewd and/or Obscene Conduct on Licensed Premises. The following acts or conduct on licensed premises are prohibited:
(1) To employ or use any person in the sale or service of alcoholic beverages in or upon the licensed premises while such person is unclothed or in such attire, costume or clothing as to expose to view any portion of the breast [691]*691below the top of the areola or of any portion of the pubic hair, anus, cleft of the buttocks, vulva or genitals.
(6) Subject to paragraph (5) herein, to permit entertainers whose breast and/or buttocks are exposed to view to perform elsewhere on the licensed premise except upon a stage at least eighteen inches above the immediate floor level and removed at least six feet from the nearest patron.
(10) Nothing in this rule is intended to modify the provisions of RCW 66.28.080 concerning city or county dancing or music permits.
(11) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this rule, no licensee shall employ, use the services of, or permit upon his licensed premises, any entertainment or person whose attire or conduct is in violation of any city or county ordinance.

Violation of the regulation is made "good and sufficient cause for cancellation of license privileges." WAC 314-16-125(12).

Following adoption of WAC 314-16-125, appellants, pursuant to RCW 34.04.025(1)(b), requested the Board to issue a "concise statement" of the principal reasons for overruling the considerations urged against adoption. The Board furnished the concise statement requested.

The statement summarizes the principal reasons for adopting the regulation. These include: (1) the increase in arrests and citations during the last few years concerning disorderly persons on licensed premises, most of which involved topless table dancing; (2) licensees have argued in superior court that the present rules do not contain sufficiently specific standards to enable them to know what conduct is prohibited. WAC 314-16-125 will provide such standards.

The statement also summarizes three principal reasons against adoption of the regulation: (1) topless table dancing means money, (2) some dancers may become unemployed, (3) problems with topless table dancing can be controlled in other ways by local authorities.

[692]*692The statement finally sets forth the Board's principal reasons for overruling the considerations urged against the adoption of WAC 314-16-125, namely: (1) considering the legislative directives in RCW 66.08.010, the public benefits derived from WAC 314-16-125 through a decrease in disorderly conduct outweigh possible revenue loss to some licensed premises and dancers; (2) other forms of local regulation can still be carried out.

Appellants then brought an action under RCW 34.04.070 for a declaratory judgment to determine the validity of the regulation and moved for a preliminary injunction. The court consolidated the hearing on the motion and trial on the merits. The parties filed a stipulation as to the facts. After the trial court entered judgment on July 25, 1975, upholding the validity of the regulation, the court determined: (1) the Board complied with all procedural requirements of RCW 34.04 (administrative procedures act); (2) the adoption of the regulation was within the statutory rule-making power of the Board, and (3) the power to adopt the regulation was not unconstitutionally delegated to the Board by the legislature. Appellants appealed.

Appellants, on appeal, make only two contentions: (1) WAC 314-16-125 is invalid because the "concise statement" required by RCW 34.04.025 does not address appellants' objection the regulation was not within the Board's statutory authority; and (2) the regulation is not within the Board's statutory authority.

Appellants make no claim the regulation violates the First Amendment because California v. LaRue, 409 U.S. 109, 34 L. Ed. 2d 342, 93 S. Ct. 390 (1972), rejected a similar claim. Moreover, appellants no longer claim there was an unlawful delegation of the rule-making authority to the Board, contending that there was no delegation at all authorizing the regulation.

We hold neither of the two contentions advanced are valid and affirm the appealed judgment.

[693]*693The Sufficiency of the "Concise Statement"

Appellants cite no case determining what must be contained in the "concise statement." The purpose of such a statement is (1) to assure the agency actually considered all arguments made and (2) to facilitate court review. See 13 U.L.A. 245 (Supp. 1977); National Nutritional Foods Ass'n v. Weinberger, 512 F.2d 688 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 827, 46 L. Ed. 2d 44, 96 S. Ct. 44 (1975); Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. Securities & Exch. Comm'n, 389 F. Supp. 689 (D.D.C. 1974). Moreover, RCW 34.04.025(1)(a)(i) requires the notice of intended action include a "reference to the authority under which the rule is proposed".

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Bluebook (online)
575 P.2d 221, 89 Wash. 2d 688, 1978 Wash. LEXIS 1361, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-leech-morse-inc-v-washington-state-liquor-control-board-wash-1978.