From The Olympian:
As the Legislature steams along with its current cast of characters, we all hold memories of many fine people who have participated in the past. What they have done to benefit our state will live on in very concrete ways, such as better access to open government.On Wednesday, the Washington Coalition for Open Government (WCOG) will honor former state Sen. Bob Morton with the first Ballard/Thompson Award for advocacy for open government. Morton, a Kettle Falls resident, served in the Legislature for 21 years until he resigned in December. Morton had served the 7th Legislative District since 1991, including two terms in the House of Representatives. He had served in the Senate since 1995.The coalition will be honoring Morton for his persistent efforts to improve the state Open Public Meetings Act. This law is crucial to keeping government open in Washington.