OLYMPIA — Even as the bitterness from last year’s public-records showdown continues to linger, a state lawmaker from Seattle is sponsoring new legislation to open up some of the Legislature’s records.
Unlike last year’s ill-fated public-records proposal — loathed by the public and vetoed by Gov. Jay Inslee — Sen. Jamie Pedersen’s new proposal would not exempt the Legislature from Washington’s 1972 voter-approved transparency law and would not keep all old records secret. Senate Bill 5784 also would not let lawmakers be the final arbiters of what documents are considered public. His proposal would allow for the courts to review and settle those questions. (Read more here…)