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Time to save two good bills
This is not a drill. Two pieces of legislation affecting open government are up for hearing, and we need to sign in PRO on them.
The first is rather critical to the future of news media in SB 5400. SB 5400 will provide financial aid to keep accessible news media and not cold corporate media (1) in business. There is a new funding mechanism that taxes Big Tech to support the media as per the new Senate Bill Report. Please sign in PRO before 3 PM Tuesday.
Washington State Legislature
The second is HB 1418 which would allow Public Transit Benefit Areas (PTBAs) to have up to two transit riders on their boards. We should please sign in PRO before 3 PM Thursday because:
One: I submit that we want more inclusive input to transit boards - see Anna Zivarts’ essay for the details.
Two: HB 1418 requires training in the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) and Public Records Act (PRA), plus ethics. We should support any legislation requiring such training to further the cause of open government on principle.
I know all of you want to hear what I think of developments at UW Regents the past week. That’s what’s next, but I feel we need to keep these two bills moving through the state legislature before focusing on ourselves and telling sortie stories.
Husky Regents almost “Coug It”
Yes, I’m talking about everyone’s favorite Board of Regents… the University of Washington’s. Last week, they had a debate about divesting from Israel. First, the regents had a debate in the “executive committee,” where (thankfully) they voted against further proceedings in divesting from Israel, Boeing, and Microsoft. However, if not for the efforts of the UW student newspaper The Daily’s Evan Morud, Colman Beech, and Morgan Bortnick - the Regents’ deliberations would not be public before the public comment the next day.
I was able to call into the public comment and say my piece. But thanks to spamming jamming of the Regents’ dial in line, I was unable to hear if there way any debate on consent items. So yes, I don’t think this is the level of transparency - or public input - that RCW 42.30 the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) intends. As per the act after the 2022 renovations that I helped with:
The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed and informing the people's public servants of their views so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created. For these reasons, even when not required by law, public agencies are encouraged to incorporate and accept public comment during their decision-making process.
In comparison, Washington State University Regents do put their meetings on YouTube and does not have these ongoing issues. Nor their meetings overrun as was the case w/ the UW on 12 September.
At least I was able to ask our new State Attorney General, Nick Brown, to speak with his Assistant attorney general defending the University about the situation at the Sunshine Breakfast. We shall see what we shall see… and I’m optimistic.
A personal request
Finally, please bear with me as I learn Beehiv and its formatting. Many bells & whistles to learn how to use well.