public records
Washington lawmakers begin to drop bills ahead of upcoming session
Providing striking workers with unemployment checks. Protecting unspent gift card balances for consumers. Keeping the old name for a new state building. These are among the matters Washington lawmakers are teeing up for debate in the 2024 session. Legislators on Monday could begin pre-filing bills for introduction on the session’s first day, Jan. 8. To […]
Worries over secrecy grow as state officials shield records from the public
Just weeks after lawmakers in Little Rock passed legislation shielding certain state records from public disclosure, opponents launched an effort to amend the Arkansas Constitution to protect access to government documents. “The coalition that’s coming together on this is about as broadly bipartisan as you could get — from the extreme, extreme right to the […]
Long-snubbed by Washington lawmakers, sunshine panel not ready to surrender
Those advising state lawmakers on ways to ensure Washington’s government operates transparently have grown pretty frustrated with the lack of interest in their advice. It reached the point earlier this year when the Public Records Exemptions Accountability Committee considered asking lawmakers to disband the advisory panel, concerned it had become, in one member’s words, a […]
Law would redirect surging public requests for election records
Following the 2020 elections, county auditors around the state saw public requests for election records spike, a trend driven at least in part by individuals and groups pushing disproven claims of widespread fraud at the polls. Auditors say fulfilling the requests posed a time-consuming lift for their thinly staffed offices. In the meantime, they’ve also […]