Who decides if there is an emergency?
To provide a check on the legislature, the state constitution grants the people the power to veto unwanted legislation through the use of a referendum. Despite this protection, a simple majority of...
View ArticleMcKenna and Sonntag call for legislative transparency reforms
Attorney General Rob McKenna and State Auditor Brian Sonntag, two of the state’s strongest advocates for transparent and accountable government, have written a letter to legislators encouraging them to...
View ArticleLawmakers address need to improve legislative transparency
Based on a bill introduced in the Senate yesterday, it appears the Attorney General's and State Auditor's call for improved legislative transparency is not falling on deaf ears. Earlier this month...
View ArticleHow about public hearings for the public?
One of the great things about our democracy and legislative process is the ability for citizens to testify before their lawmakers and offer their thoughts about policies that may soon impact their...
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Legislative Transparency Games - 2011 version
During the 2010 Legislative Session I noted what appeared to be a growing lack of transparency in the Legislature. For a recap of these issues I direct you to my op-ed, “Ghost Bills and Mystery...
View ArticleExamples of legislative transparency good and bad
We've been a frequent critic of how the legislature conducts itself when it comes to being transparent so when good news develops it is something we look forward to reporting. This past week the...
View ArticleHearing on legislative transparency bill
The Senate Government Operations Committee heard public testimony this morning on SB 5419 to improve legislative transparency. The State Auditor and the Attorney General's Office were among those...
View ArticleLegislative transparency bill not dead yet
Straight out of a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the legislative grim reaper is making the rounds this morning calling for committees to bring out their dead bills. Yesterday marked the...
View ArticleSenators send Majority Leader letter about transparency abuses
This has not been the Senate's best week when it comes to legislative transparency. First the Senate Government Operations Committee chose not to act on SB 5419 (legislative transparency) by the first...
View ArticleSenate to local governments: "Transparency for thee but not for me"
The Senate just passed SB 5553 (48-1) requiring local governments to post details about their agendas online at least 72 hours before holding a public meeting. While this is a great development,...
View ArticleNo public input needed for fast-tracked union bill
The House demonstrated last night how efficiently it could move priority legislation when the public is cut out of the process. HB 2011, introduced just this past Saturday, was the last bill acted on...
View ArticleSunshine Week: “Legislative Transparency Act”
In honor of National Sunshine Week, below is model language to help put the people back in the legislative process. The draft language is a combination of our proposed legislative transparency...
View ArticleWI judge halts union law on transparency concerns
As we wrap up National Sunshine Week, a Wisconsin judge has issued a temporary restraining order against a controversial union reform law on grounds its adoption may have violated the state's open...
View ArticleAvalanche of "title only" bills introduced
In the blink of an eye the number of "title only" bills dropped during the 2011 Session went from 1 to 23. Sen. Murray today introduced 22 title only bills, including 4 that may be vehicles to increase...
View ArticleNCSL: Most states don't allow "title only" bills
This morning the Associated Press highlighted Sen. Murray's introduction of 22 title only bills.According to the article:"As state lawmakers push forward into tough budget negotiations, they are...
View ArticleTime to Put All Cards on the Table
Tribal businesses in the state of Washington enjoy a competitive advantage over non-tribal private businesses. Whether in the form of exemptions from unemployment insurance, business and occupation...
View ArticleChopp waives 5-day notice requirement for budget hearing
At long last the House will propose its 2011-13 budget. If you are lucky you may even have time to read it before the House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to take executive action on it and any...
View ArticleBudget snap judgments
Notwithstanding the ill-advised decision to hold a public hearing only three hours after releasing the 472 page 2011-13 budget, Rep. Hunter deserves credit for producing a serious budget...
View ArticleHouse's turn for "title only" bills
Last month we highlighted the introduction of 22 "title only" bills in the Senate. A title only bill is just that - the text is blank except for the title of the bill. Today was the House's turn for a...
View ArticleOdd definition of legislative "transparency"
Usually when I see a bill that claims to increase legislative transparency I get excited that maybe the message is getting through. That is of course, unless it is on a 176 page striker to a title only...
View ArticleWA lawmakers to hold public work session in Portland, OR
Next Thursday Washington lawmakers from the House and Senate will hold a joint work session in Portland, OR. While it may seem strange for state lawmakers to hold a public meeting in a different state,...
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Sen. Honeyford wins open government award
The Washington Coalition for Open Government presented Sen. Jim Honeyford with its Key Award today for his efforts to improve legislative transparency this past session.I had the privilege of providing...
View ArticleState employee compensation now available in a searchable format
The Office of Financial Management (OFM) and the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee (LEAP) have worked together to make the state's 2011 Personnel Detail available on the...
View ArticleALEC Adopts Principles of Legislative Transparency
Members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have formally adopted "Principles of Legislative Transparency" to help guide how lawmakers conduct public business. ALEC is the nation's...
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State Auditor sheds light on local government finances
State Auditor Brian Sonntag launched a new website today that allows citizens to quickly find data on local government finances. Here is a summary of the new resource:Welcome to the new Local...
View ArticleExecutive session taping bill receives public hearing
The Senate Committee on Government Operations heard public testimony today on SB 6109: Exempting video and audio recordings of closed executive session meetings from public inspection and copying. SB...
View Article1 minute to testify on changes to the public records act
Does the Legislature really want to hear from citizens on changes to the landmark public records act voters adopted in 1972? Based on the treatment of SB 6576 (Allowing school districts to charge for...
View ArticleTitle-only bills dropped to circumvent spirit of state Constitution
Today is the last day under Article 2, Section 36 of the state Constitution for new bills to be introduced unless two-thirds of lawmakers vote to hear the bill. To circumvent this constitutional...
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McDermott Wrong on Political Spending
By Bill MaurerCongressman Jim McDermott's recent op-ed in The Seattle Times, Corporate spending and U.S. elections: counteracting the super PACs, gets almost everything wrong about Super PACs, the...
View ArticleLegislative transparency debate takes center stage in Senate
Today’s historic actions on the Senate floor would not be occurring if lawmakers had been living under the recommendations we’ve made to improve legislative transparency. They include:Require 72-hour...
View ArticleHouse gets it (mostly) right on introduction of HB 2817
Lawmakers in the House this week helped put to doubt the claim that "title only" bills are indispensable to the legislative process. We've been told that lawmakers have to use "title only" bills...
View ArticleMcKenna hints at need for new open government initiative
Last week was National Sunshine Week, when open government defenders worked to highlight the need for government officials to be transparent and accountable to the citizens they serve.Among those...
View ArticleThings were thrown in the budget deal at the last moment...
Interesting compare and contrast between the Governor's last two press conference on the budget deal.The first clip is from her April 11 early morning statements about calling the 2nd Special Session...
View ArticleHow a bill SHOULD become a law
Based on an email update from Washington Education Association (WEA) President Mary Lindquist, it looks like Washington school children will soon be learning a new version of "how a bill becomes a...
View ArticleEditorial wrap up of budget agreement
Here is a snap shot of how the state budget agreement is playing across the state:Transparency"Everybody was for transparency – the open discussion and full vetting of the issues contained in...
View ArticleDoes the governor have a right to secrecy?
Based on state law the answer is no but the state Supreme Court was asked today to decide if the governor has a constitutional right to secrecy via an executive privilege (a.k.a Richard Nixon's claim)...
View ArticleNewspapers call for election reform
As Americans head to the polls today, Washingtonians who haven't voted yet should drop their ballot off at designated drop sites. Although our ballots only need to be postmarked by today's deadline,...
View ArticleMichigan shows need for Washington legislative transparency reforms
When I saw this headline today out of Michigan I didn't think the article would become the poster child for legislative transparency reforms, but that's exactly what the story demonstrates:...
View ArticleColumbian: Legislators must regain public confidence by emphasizing transparency
The Vancouver Columbian has re-issued its call for state lawmakers to adopt much needed legislative transparency reforms reflecting our recommendations. From the Columbian editorial:When Washington's...
View ArticleCoalition calls on lawmakers to adopt legislative transparency reforms
A coalition of good government, media and business groups have signed a letter encouraging state lawmakers to adopt the Washington Policy Center's proposed legislative transparency reforms.The letter...
View ArticleNews articles highlight problems with binding arbitration
The King County Council is expected to vote soon on this proposal to expand the use of binding arbitration in the County (see K.C.C. 3.16.050). On January 9th, I wrote about why this idea is bad public...
View ArticleLegislative transparency constitutional amendment proposed in California
A constitutional amendment to increase legislative transparency has been proposed in California. According to the Los Angeles Times:A bipartisan group of California lawmakers concerned by the past...
View ArticleBudget transparency bills introduced
Two bills were introduced in the House today that would improve the transparency of the state's various budgets (operating, capital and transportation).HB 1721 proposed by Representatives Pike,...
View ArticleLegislative public notice for bill hearings starts to slip
Up to this week the Legislature had been doing a decent job of adhering to its rules that require a five-day public notice before a bill is heard in a hearing.In fact, earlier this year I was quoted in...
View ArticleSun rising in House Rules Committee?
Tomorrow (March 10) marks the beginning of National Sunshine Week - a time dedicated to celebrating the importance of the people's right to know and the need for strong open government laws. Judging...
View ArticleDead, alive and NTIB (necessary to implement the budget)
With yesterday's 5 p.m. House of Origin cutoff date behind us, here is a status report on several of the bills I've been following:Open GovernmentHB 1128 (Regarding local agencies' responses to public...
View ArticleTitle only bills used to circumvent state Constitution
Not only are title only bills (essentially blank pieces of legislation) not the most transparent way to introduce changes to state law (or perhaps too translucent) but they are used by lawmakers to...
View ArticleBrian Sonntag inducted into "Heroes of the 50 States: The State Open...
Former State Auditor Brian Sonntag has been inducted into the "Heroes of the 50 States: The State Open Government Hall of Fame."According to a press release by the National Freedom of Information...
View ArticleOlympian calls for more legislative transparency
Looks like editors at The Olympian decided to declare April 16 as "Legislative Transparency Day." The capital city newspaper ran two editorials today highlighting our recommendations to improve the...
View ArticlePublic gets chance to weigh in on House tax increase package tomorrow
Though we have serious concerns about the impact of the House Democrat's $1.3 billion tax increase proposal on the state's economy and jobs (nearly 10,000 private sector jobs could be lost), at least...
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