The Coalition conducts public workshops and forums around the state, involving the public, public officials, and the media in discussing government accessibility as provided in the various statutes that assure such access and accountability from our public agencies.
Open Government Sunshine Week Conference
“Open Government: Past, Present and Future”
Saturday, March 10, 2012
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Women’s University Club
1105 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA
Don’t miss out! Join us at the Open Government Sunshine Week Conference to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Initiative-276 and the 41st anniversary of the Open Public Meetings Act, and honor Karen Gates Hildt, Attorney, widow of the late Michael Hildt; Slade Gorton, former U.S. Senator; Bennett Feigenbaum, President and Chief Administrative Officer of Executive Mediator Services; and Bill Neukom, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the World Justice Project.
Registration Fees:
$50 WCOG Members, Students, & Seniors (62+)
$75 Non-Members & Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit
$50 Luncheon Panel Only
Click here for more details and to register.
2012 Legislative Priorities
For a downloadable version of our 2012 Legislative Priorities, please click here.
Executive session taping bill receives public hearing
Washington Policy Center: February 1, 2012
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 6109 reflects a new strategy by the Attorney General and State Auditor to ensure that executive sessions aren't being misused in violations of the state's Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA).
'Sunshine' panel wants candidates known
The News Tribune: February 1, 2012
Job applications for city managers, university presidents and top-paid positions at other government agencies would be open for public review under a proposal from the state’s “sunshine committee” that reviews exemptions in state public records law.
The measure, which received a Senate committee hearing Tuesday, would require that finalist applications for a job be subject to public disclosure after finalists are selected but before a hire is made.
LA Supervisors, With Governor, Violate Open Meetings Law
The Huffington Post: February 1, 2012
It was so ho-hummed and matter-of-factly reported that few would sense its importance when reading it.
The district attorney's office found that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors had clearly - and rather flagrantly -- violated the state's open meetings law when it met with Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown in a secret, closed-door meeting last fall to iron out details for moving thousands of state prison inmates to county jails.
Bill would limit public-record requests to state agencies
The Seattle Times: January 31, 2012
State lawmakers are exploring a plan that could limit how governments respond to requests for public documents, allowing them to get a court order if they can prove that a request creates a "significant burden."
Arlington will fight felon in court over public records
HeraldNet: January 31, 2012
The City Council had a choice: Pay $500 to an inmate who claims that Arlington failed to quickly provide copies of his case file or be prepared to spend far more for the city attorney to continue the battle in court.
Council members voted unanimously last week to ignore the inmate's offer. Instead, they will fight the felon, who was convicted of three counts of child rape.
Sex offenders' legal costs were kept secret from public
The Seattle Times: January 21, 2012
When The Seattle Times tried to find out how much money flowed to defense experts in civil-commitment cases here, it ran into two roadblocks.
King County Superior Court judges had improperly sealed hundreds of pages of court records that authorized public funds to hire the experts.
In response to school board dispute, a lesson on open meetings
HeraldNet: January 24, 2012
What can and can't be discussed by elected officials in meetings closed to the public fueled much of the controversy on the Everett School Board last year.
Tensions rose so high that school board member Jessica Olson was censured twice by fellow board members. Olson said she was fighting for more openness and transparency.
Holt wants Legislature under open meeting, records laws
News-Star.com: January 18, 2012
Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, has filed legislation to make the Oklahoma Legislature subject to the Open Meetings and Open Records Acts. Those two statutes have long provided transparency to all levels of government, but not the Legislature, which exempted itself.
Indiana Tries To Put Teeth in The Sunshine Laws
The Art of Access Blog: January 17, 2012
Public employees who intentionally circumvented public meeting and disclosure laws could be subject to fines under legislation reintroduced in the Generally Assembly.
The bills would let a judge fine a person $100 for first offense and $500 for subsequent violations of the Open Door Law or Access to Public Records Act.
State Auditor sheds light on local government finances
Washington Policy Center: January 17, 2012
State Auditor Brian Sonntag launched a new website today that allows citizens to quickly find data on local government finances.
In Our View: The Public's Rights
The Olympian: January 15, 2012
Did the new Olympia City Council begin the new year with an illegal council meeting?
Unfortunately, members of the public will never know the answer to that question because there is no audio or video record of what went on behind closed doors.
In Our View: The Public's Rights
The Columbian: January 13, 2012
Before they get deeply engrossed in deliberations over a sales tax increase, legalizing marijuana or approving gay marriage, Washington’s legislators should do themselves and their constituents a favor by reviewing this powerful passage from the Revised Code of Washington...
Snoqualmie Valley Hospital commissioners might consider increasing meetings
The SnoValley Star: January 11, 2012
In 2011, the elected board of commissioners overseeing Snoqualmie Valley Hospital held 14 special meetings — meetings requiring only 24 hours of notice to the commissioners and media outlets with a standing request for notice.
The commissioners made big decisions during at least five of the meetings — decisions ranging from approving a $15 million bond sale to approving agreements for construction of the district’s planned $37 million new facility.
TVW Introduces SCOUT
The Thicket: January 10, 2012
TVW, the Washington state public affairs network, is offering an innovative service to citizens who want to follow public policy issues and the legislative process. This new tool, called SCOUT, allows the public to easily keep track of issues. SCOUT will track video and bill information and automatically send it to those who open a free account.
Editorial: Legislature offered ways to shore up records act
The Spokesman Review: January 7, 2012
The Washington Coalition for Open Government has announced an ambitious agenda for this legislative session. It would be less ambitious if lawmakers hadn’t steadily eroded the Public Records Act since it was overwhelmingly adopted by voters in 1972.
Recording closed meetings could assure public trust
HeraldNet: January 6, 2012
One of the more tumultuous stories here in recent years has revolved around the Everett School Board and its members' apparent inability to agree on much beyond their deep-seated animus for each other.
Seattle sues attorney over public records request
KOMO 4 News: January 4, 2012
On the heels of a scathing federal review of Seattle police practices, dash-cam video is once again at the center of a firestorm at City Hall.
This time, the city is suing an attorney who wanted dash-cam videos connected to alleged police misconduct.
State auditors: Whatcom council violated public meetings law in 2010 with email exchanges
The Bellingham Herald: December 29, 2011
Whatcom County Council violated state open public meetings law in 2010 when it held email ‘meetings’ that should have been open to the public because a quorum was present and members were discussing business, state auditors said.
Some Franklin annexation public records may not be received until 2016
The Tri-City Herald: December 28, 2011
A vocal critic of Pasco's plan to annex the Franklin County doughnut hole area using a new process may not receive some documents he has asked Pasco for until 2016.
The 16 requests Roger Lenk has filed were outlined to the Pasco City Council last week.
Everett School Board plans a meeting about meetings
HeraldNet: November 25, 2011
Controversy has swirled around the Everett School Board all year over openness and transparency.
The school board now plans to hold a forum early next year to have outside experts discuss issues such as the state Open Public Meetings Act and the steps involved in getting records from government agencies.
Prison Bars: Washington Court Finds Inmate's Public Records Lawsuit-Time Barred
Local Open Government Blog: November 18, 2011
A Washington State Court of Appeals recently held that an inmate’s public records lawsuit against the State of Washington Department of Corrections (“DOC”) was time-barred, and therefore properly dismissed. Johnson v. Wash. State Dep't of Corrections, Case No.40831-7-II, 2011 WL 5345375 (Wash. Ct. App. Nov. 8, 2011).
Inmate Robert Johnson's claim concerned the DOC’s Extended Family Visiting policy (“EFV”). The EFV policy allows an offender to receive private visits from family. Under early versions of the policy, inmates could participate in the EFV program only if they had a “positive prognosis of release”, that is if they would outlive their sentence.
9th Circuit says R-71 petitions can be released
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: November 17, 2011
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied a request from gay-marriage opponents to block further release of Referendum 71 petitions while they appeal a prior court decision.
Referendum 71 was the unsuccessful attempt in 2009 by Protect Marriage Washington to repeal the state's "everything but marriage" law, which granted same-sex domestic partners the same rights and benefits of married couples.
Open government groups call for Supreme Court to televise health care oral arguments
National Freedom of Information Coalition: November 16, 2011
Today Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and a broad coalition of organizations called for the Supreme Court to allow the live telecast of the unusual 5½ hours of oral arguments in the cases surrounding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Allowing cameras in the courtroom would provide every American the opportunity to hear and assess the arguments in real time. In the alternative, Americans will be forced to rely only on after-the-fact news reports, or wait for the Court to release audio recordings afterwards.
Pierce detective sues county, claims Lindquist stonewalling
The News Tribune: November 7, 2011
A Pierce County sheriff’s detective who previously filed a claim for damages against Prosecutor Mark Lindquist now is suing the county, contending Lindquist’s office inappropriately withheld what she believes are public records.
Representatives from Lindquist’s office last week characterized the lawsuit brought by Glenda Nissen as harassment and said the records she seeks contain private information that would be harmful to disclose.
Judge should make privacy call
The News Tribune: November 6, 2011
As new technology makes communication easier, it complicates efforts to monitor the official activities of public officials. It also complicates the efforts of public officials to have the private lives they deserve.
We write in today’s South Sound section about a lawsuit brought by a Pierce County sheriff’s deputy denied full access to private cellphone records of the county prosecutor. Deputy Glenda Nissen requested a log of calls and text messages Prosecutor Mark Lindquist made from his private cellphone, which he also uses for public business.
Names released of people who signed Bellingham anti-traffic camera initiative
The Bellingham Herald: November 4, 2011
City Council member Seth Fleetwood didn't just vote against allowing traffic-enforcement cameras, he signed a petition for a local initiative restricting them.
So did the candidate challenging him, Larry Farr, who says he opposes the red-light cameras and school-zone speed cameras.
Their names were among thousands on petitions for the anti-camera initiative, which is on the Nov. 8 general election ballot in Bellingham. The 6,775 names on the petitions were released to The Bellingham Herald by the Whatcom County Auditor's Office and the city of Bellingham. The Herald filed public disclosure requests seeking them.
Niners block further release of R-71 petitions
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: October 24, 2011
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a temporary injunction barring further release of petitions on Referendum 71, the unsuccessful 2009 measure that would have repealed Washington’s domestic partnership laws.
The appellate court refused a request by Protect Marriage Washington to take up the case itself, leaving it in the hands of Tacoma-based U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle.
State stops releasing Ref. 71 petitioner names
The Seattle Times: October 21, 2011
Pending a hearing Monday by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Secretary of State's Office has stopped releasing Referendum 71 petition names to the public after a conservative religious group filed an emergency motion with the court.
The decision follows a Monday ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle that Protect Marriage Washington had failed to prove the 137,500 signers of Referendum 71 petitions would be subject to harassment if their names were released.
Citizen lawmakers are part of open government
The Seattle Times: October 21, 2011
CURIOUS how these things turn out. The sponsors of Referendum 71 in 2009 had no qualms with harsh judgments about the private lives of thousands of Washington families. Those same people who sought repeal of an expansion of the state's domestic-partnership law were quick to race to court when they felt their efforts might attract scrutiny.
This week a federal judge in Tacoma lifted an injunction on the release of the 137,500 signatures collected to put R-71 on the ballot. U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle basically said Protect Marriage Washington never made a serious case for harassment — real or imagined.
Judge rules to release names of Ref. 71 petition signers
The Seattle Times: October 17, 2011
A federal judge on Monday issued a ruling to release the names of 137,500 people who two years ago signed Referendum 71 petitions to bring the state's domestic-partnership law to a vote.
The Secretary of State's Office said it would release the names immediately.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle of Tacoma said that Protect Marriage Washington, a religious conservative group that had sought to keep the names sealed, failed to show that signers would be harassed if the names were disclosed.
ALEC Adopts Principles of Legislative Transparency
Washington Policy Center: October 17, 2011
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 largest nonpartisan, individual membership organization of state legislators, with more than 2,400 legislator members from all 50 states, and 86 former members serving in the U.S. Congress.
Seattle police records increasingly less accessible for public accountabilityThe Seattle Times: October 16, 2011
DURING the past few years, Seattle police officers have been involved in countless controversial incidents that have caught the attention of residents, activists and journalists.
During those same years, the Seattle Police Department has been creating a disturbing crime-information system that is far more ominous than the high-profile cases that grabbed headlines.
Port of Longview cancels commissioners meeting
The Daily News: October 14, 2011
The Port of Longview cancelled its planned Friday afternoon commissioners' meeting at the KLTV studio in Longview after The Daily News questioned whether the meeting was legal under the state's open meetings law, port officials announced Friday.
According to a Friday notice from the port, the meeting will be rescheduled, but a new date and venue have not been determined.
As Indian Gas-Tax Payments are Questioned, Secrecy Deepens
Washington State Wire: October 10, 2011
As questions are being raised about the state’s multi-million-dollar distributions of gas-tax money to Indian tribes, the state Department of Licensing has drawn the veil of secrecy tighter.
Last month the department stopped releasing information about the amount of public money that is given to each individual Indian tribe. All that any Washington taxpayer now can learn is the total figure – $28,142,452 last year, and growing.
Judge should allow release of initiative-petition signatures
The Olympian: October 10, 2011
All eyes are on U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle in Tacoma as people await his decision on whether the names of people who sign initiative and referendum petitions should be made available to the public.
Settle is expected to rule in the next few days.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because this case – those who opposed rights for same-sex domestic partners versus state attorney – has been kicking around the courts for more than two years. The case, Doe vs. Reed, already has been all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court once, where justices supported the state law that allows for the disclosure of the names.
Executive sessions: When is it OK for officials to go behind closed doors?
HeraldNet: October 7, 2011
The Aug. 23 fracas during a closed-door meeting of the Everett School Board cast a bright light on the what state law allows during executive sessions. Pushing, shoving and fighting among public officials? Nope. Private discussions about an employee's job performance, real estate transactions or national security? Absolutely. When is it OK for a school board, a city council or leaders of other public agencies to go behind closed doors, and what business may they do there?
Man sues, says SPD conceals dash-cam videos
The Seattle Times: October 5, 2011
Eric Rachner is doing everything he can to make the Seattle Police Department regret his arrest three years ago while playing a game of "urban golf" on Capitol Hill.
Even though the charges were dismissed, the 35-year-old owner of a computer-security company has dedicated his expertise to expose what he says are gaping holes in the Police Department's public-disclosure and video-retention policies. In 2010, he won a $60,000 public-disclosure judgment against the department for denying it had dashboard-camera recordings of his arrest as well as logs of the recordings, when it did.
Opinion | One-on-one talks are minefield for elected officials
Snoqualmie Valley Record: October 4, 2011
Snoqualmie’s seven council members can’t carbon-copy each other on e-mails anymore, thanks to Jodi Warren.
The Snoqualmie City Clerk takes the spirit of transparency rules very seriously, so around the time she started at City Hall, she banned the practice of multiple c.c.s. She did it because such e-mails between elected officials who vote on public matters are a form of discussion. That discussion is supposed to take place in chambers, not on computer keyboards.
Judge: Ruling on Doe v. Reed R-71 disclosure case in 2 weeks
From Our Corner: October 4, 2011
U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle says he will rule within two weeks on a request from gay-marriage foes that he permanently seal Referendum 71 petitions from public access. Settle didn’t indicate how he will rule, but did say at one point from the bench Monday that the record submitted by challengers is “devoid” of direct evidence of harassment that could result if the petitions are released.
Doe vs Reed: The Next Chapter
The Seattle PI: October 2, 2011
Today Doe v. Reed continues. Anne Levinson shared the following summary of Doe v. Reed with me. Anne Levinson chaired the Approve 71 campaign to defeat the attempted repeal of the State’s comprehensive domestic partnership law. She was one of Washington State’s first openly LGBT public officials, serving as a judge, as chair of the State’s public utilities commission, and as legal counsel to the Mayor, Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor in the City of Seattle.
Fight resumes over releasing Ref. 71 names
The Seattle Times: October 2, 2011
He's known in federal-court documents as John Doe #2, a former youth pastor and unabashed opponent of gay marriage who two years ago signed a petition to put benefits for same-sex couples up to a statewide vote.
Doe is unnamed because Protect Marriage Washington, the conservative organization that ran the Referendum 71 campaign to roll back those benefits, worries about harassment and reprisals against him and 137,500 others who signed the petition.
Records ruling costly for county
The Spokesmen-Review: September 30, 2011
A public records request about a seating chart may cost Spokane County more than $100,000 under a state Supreme Court ruling released Thursday.
The high court overturned two lower courts’ dismissals of a 2006 lawsuit by the Neighborhood Alliance of Spokane County.
The nonprofit organization was trying to determine whether then-County Commissioner Phil Harris’ son Steve was given a county job before the formal hiring process began.
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Jefferson Level
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Platinum Level