In introduction, yes the 2026 bill tracker is finally done. But things are still somewhat in motion on several casefiles, so let’s get going… but there is also a deep dive into Canadian Freedom of Information using some Ontarian pieces and a legendary Canadian journalist to help set the stage for future pieces.
Table of Contents
Closing Out the 2026 Bill Tracker
A Retro Look at the Washington State Legislature - Author Photo
Finally, we may close out the 2026 Bill Tracker. A basic summary follows:
31 bills overall tracked
5 bills signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson for a 16.1% success rate
Of those 5 bills, all 5 new laws were found to be against open government.
One of those new laws involves automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. As Washington Coalition for Open Government posted to social media:
One in the latter category now regulates the use of automated license plate readers, often referred to as Flock cameras for the prominent company that sells the service.
ESSB 6002 restricts the use of license plate readers. Notably, law enforcement is limited to using the devices for seeking stolen vehicles, missing persons, people with outstanding warrants or vehicles involved in a crime.
. . .
The bill also carved out yet another exemption to the Public Records Act. License plate reader data is now exempt from disclosure except when it is used for “bona fide research.”
More than 700 exemptions to the Public Records Act are now embedded in the Revised Code of Washington.
The 700+ exemptions in the Public Records Act are a growing problem. But openness is not under attack just by public records act exemptions…
The Stranger Summarizes the House Media Fiasco
“An Angle on the Washington State Legislature on a Damp Night in Polaroid SX-70” by Author
Finally, Seattle’s alt-left news organization The Stranger reports on the House Media Press Pass Fiasco. I commend the article to get caught up acutely where we are as of April 9. The recent reporting notes the issue of dark money having more access to legislators. Clearly Brandi Kruse and Jonathan Choe - two of the three antagonists wanting a House Media Pass - are already attacking the author - a very poor communications strategy that makes reading the article from an outlet I don’t like a damn good idea.
There also may be an update from the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) soon on this matter. Stay Tuned…
Public Critic of the AWC Now A Mayor
Sedro-Woolley’s JoEllen Kresti, who in her voter’s pamphlet statement for City Council roared as shared last October,
“Local decisions are increasingly shaped by outside influences, particularly from Olympia and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC). The AWC often promotes one-size-fits-all policies, with a focus on raising property taxes, ideas that don’t reflect the unique needs of Sedro-Woolley.”
Is now Mayor JoEllen Kresti. In Mayor Kresti’s inagural address was a clear pledge to expand freedom of information (FOI). Mayor Kresti shared these thoughts among others,
“For far too long, many have felt they didn’t have a voice or access to the same information. That changes today. Moving forward, we will be committed to transparency, open communication and ensuring everyone has what they need to make the best decisions for Sedro-Woolley.”
Mayor JoEllen Kresti to starboard being sworn in
It’s no secret that I’m a frienemy of the AWC. In part because of the AWC’s efforts to decimate open government laws in our state. One hopes this appointment means the AWC will now be questioned in its ways.
British Columbia’s Bill 9 Attacking FOI at Risk…
Photo: British Columbia Legislative Chamber in the British Columbia Parliament Building via WikiCommons Contributor Sikander
Consider this Part 3 of an ongoing series covering British Columbia’s Freedom of Information issues. With that, long story short, British Columbia is teetering on a snap election due to the Premier (roughly equivalent to a super Governor in the United States) wanting a confidence vote on First Nations/aboriginal/Native Canadian land title. If the Premier’s British Columbia New Democratic Party (BCNDP) fails the confidence vote, then the Government loses confidence to govern and a snap election is forced on British Columbians. All other legislation such as Bill 9 about freedom of informaiton (FOI) reforms is stopped if not passed before a failed confidence vote.
This piece is about setting the stage for future pieces on my deep dive on much in regards to British Columbia FOI - and to start some analogies. Thanks for understanding.
Meanwhile Ontario Considers Fiercer Attacks on FOI
Although the Canadian province of Ontario is out of normal coverage for this Beehiv, one cannot ignore Ontario’s Orwellian-named “Plan to Protect Ontario Act” by Premier Doug Ford as conservative independent Juno News recently covered. There are reasons that will boomerang back to British Columbia… wait for it…
Ford Family Issues With Media
Yes, Premier Doug Ford is a brother to and former teammate to the late Rob Ford who died from cancer, and Rob Ford’s tragic saga was well covered by establishment media’s Toronto Star/The Globe and Mail’s Robyn Doolittle in a Kobo eBook and an updated paperback. Mrs. Doolittle used the book to address Canadian freedom of information issues also, and starred in the podcast “Gravy Train”. I believe Robyn Doolittle is a bada** journalist to the point of arguably Canada’s version of Heather “Newsbrooke” Brooke, Ph.D the openness + feminist Washington State-trained British journalist.
Robyn Doolittle of The Globe and Mail
Source: Robyn Doolittle’s Instagram
I mention all of this because it appears Premier Doug Ford is repeating his late brother’s war on the media. As Mrs. Doolittle covered in Crazy Town,
“If you wanna address this, number one it’s an outright lie. It’s the Toronto Star going after me, again, and again, and again. They’re relentless. That’s fine. I’ll go head to head with the Toronto Star any time.” He was not going to address any of the specifics. He was not going to talk about the Bier Markt, or his staff’s concerns, or the photos on Twitter. Ford retreated to his comfort zone— campaigning—framing the Star as a political opponent rather than a newspaper. “Just let’s wait, let’s just wait until the election … and then we’ll see what happens,” he fumed, getting more and more worked up with each passing sentence. “I’m sick of— It’s patho— It’s just lies after lies and lies! And I’ve called you pathological liars and you are! So why don’t you take me to court?”
Ontarians Oppose Premier Ford’s Plan
As Juno News reported on April 9, a recent poll of Ontarians noted opposition to Ford’s attacks on Freedom of Information.
The poll found that Ford’s FOI attack is only supported by 19% of Ontarians. Additionally from the Juno News report,
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario Patricia Kosseim has also called on the Ford government to reverse course on the proposed changes, saying that if passed, it would make the province even “less transparent than even the federal government.”
. . .
“Allowing them to conduct government-related business on their personal email accounts and devices significantly increases the risk of privacy breaches and cyberattacks,” reads Kosseim’s submission to the government. “These risks are further amplified when they keep these personal email accounts and devices after they leave government.”
To make things worse, the Canadian Press is reporting that Premier Doug Ford is using an omnibus budget bill to quash a freedom of information request for the Premier’s phone records. It’s likely this legislation will pass, despite the outcry.
Robyn Doolittle on Freedom of Information
It’s worth noting that recently Mrs. Doolittle said on a CBC podcast last month that Freedom of Information (FOI) is,
The mechanism by which we can check on our elected leaders and our public institutions, how our tax dollars are being spent. It's this recognition that we have a right to know what our leaders are doing.
Mrs. Doolittle would go on to share,
I am so deeply enraged at this as a citizen of this country and as a journalist that this is the way that it is. But I want to focus my energy in the most productive way for readers. … I'm usually just so cynical about this that governments try to hide information that I'm just happy if they get it.
Considering Robyn Doolittle has worked in journalism for 20 plus years, I’ll let Robyn close out this segment laying some ideological keel for what’s to come…
Bringing Affairs Back to BC
There is also the matter that some of the team for leading contender for the BC Conservatives Caroline Eliott’s are connected to… Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Such as Kory Teneycke. Considering Caroline Elliott skipped the April 8 Juno News debate, questions about her commitment to accountability and transparency arise for a potential future Premier of British Columbia. There are serious questions how the upcoming confidence vote could affect the leadership race Mrs. Elliott is a participant in.
This is also at a time when British Columbia Premier David Eby of the NDP works to limit what documents can be given to a judicial review. The legislation lets any minister, or deputy minister, certify requested documents are covered under cabinet confidence and thereby exempt from disclosure. In other words: Expand executive privilege.
Author Photo of BC Legislature on Dec. 1, 2018
The Last Word: “Greater Opacity Lowers Risk”
Ultimately, the last word should go to the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, or FIPA - British Columbia’s leading freedom of information advocacy group. Namely, a quote from FIPA’s recent presentation to the Privacy and Access Council of Canada regarding the state of Freedom of Information.
“Too often, governments frame the problem as burdensome requests, as though the public’s use of access laws is itself the issue. Once that becomes the narrative, the response is predictable: easier refusal, broader discretion, and narrower entitlement. That shifts responsibility away from public bodies and onto applicants. In many cases, the more likely underlying problems are weak records culture, underinvestment, and poor information management.”
. . .
“When access rights are weakened, the consequences are immediate and concrete. Journalists lose the ability to test official narratives against the record. Researchers lose access to the evidence needed to assess policy, performance, and risk. Civil society loses part of its capacity to scrutinize government action. Legislatures, opposition parties, and watchdog bodies are left with fewer facts on which to ground debate, challenge decisions, and hold institutions to account. And the public is asked to place greater trust in government at the very moment it is being given less basis to do so.
“Over time, that changes the culture of government itself. Officials learn that fewer records may mean fewer consequences. Political actors learn that greater opacity lowers risk. And the public learns, correctly, that formal rights on paper may not translate into meaningful access in practice.”
We will be revisiting these issues in the next Beehiv update on British Columbia’s FOI struggles. For now, stay tuned.
Thanks for reading all 1983 words - 1983 is when Canada had national Freedom of Information.