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Condolences on legendary Washingtonian leaders…
First, my condolences to Speaker Frank Chopp's next of kin, friends, allies, and acquaintances. I was honored to share a table with the great and gracious Washingtonian at our sunshine breakfast earlier this month. I insisted on calling him “Speaker” as Speaker Chopp has been our state House speaker for so long. We are Blessed and lucky to have him as a speaker, and I would like to leave it at that during this time.
We also lost former Secretary of State Ralph Munro and, last fall, former Governor Dan Evans. Both of whom did a ton of good, especially for the disability community and for transparent government.
So, to those fellow Washingtonians who care about Washington State’s political history… the time is now to research, write, and share our history. It’s always time to thank our open government heroes as we have way too few. I am going to get around to sharing the tale of ESHB 1329 becoming law to renovate our Open Public Meetings Act in 2022, knowing time is short. Former Governor Jay Inslee is around 70, and none of the stars of that caper are getting any younger. Some of us have dangerous stuff ahead—me included.
With that, if you missed the 2025 Washington Coalition for Open Government Sunshine Breakfast program, the TVW video is up here. I highly recommend watching the program until the end. The Coalition rightfully honored Speaker Chopp and he gave a good speech. Well worth the $50 I paid to be there!
Skagit Transit RCW 42.30.240 Noncompliance
Seems as if Skagit Transit doesn’t care for RCW 42.30.240. The Chair of the Skagit Transit Board last Wednesday decided to assume there was no public comment, I raised my hand online, and as the Chair has done previously rolled right on through.
Photo of Skagit Transit 300 in the Dark: Joe A. Kunzler
Let me remind everyone of the renovated RCW 42.30 declaration:
The legislature finds and declares that all public commissions, boards, councils, committees, subcommittees, departments, divisions, offices, and all other public agencies of this state and subdivisions thereof exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of this chapter that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly.
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.
Note what’s bolded. The OPMA was renovated to ensure public input so we had inclusive democracy in between elections.
I am sadly requesting legal representation, please for next steps and to defend public comment in public meetings - growlernoise-AT-gmail-DOT-com. Please note that RCW 42.30.120 rewards legal fees for this kind of lawfare.
Open government legislation moving along
As per my tracker, we have open government legislation moving along. Some important public records bills have hearings this week which you can simply sign in PRO, CON or OTHER - or speak to the legislature acutely:
HB 1308, which "Specifies that an employer must provide an employee or former employee with a copy of the employee's personnel file within 21 days of a request." - Hearing is March 24, 10:30 AM, Senate Labor & Commerce
HB 1610 which will limit public disclosure about public safety infrastructure. The hearing is March 25, 1:30 PM, Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections
SB 5030 "Prohibits the Department of Health and local registrars from charging a birth certificate fee when a birth certificate is requested by a parent or guardian who has a child who is a member of an assistance unit that is eligible for or receiving food benefits and enrolling in an early learning program or a public school. " Hearing is March 25, 1:30 PM, House Early Learning & Human Services.
SB 5163 works to "Modernizing the child fatality statute." "Information and records prepared, owned, used, or retained by the local health departments, their respective offices, or staff that reveals the identification and location of any person or persons being the subject of review shall not be made public in accordance with RCW 42.56.365." This bad bill gets a hearing on March 25, 1:30 PM, at House Early Learning & Human Services.
I presume you all know by now how to sign in on a bill and make your position known. I have a photo assignment morning of March 25. So here’s a photo for you:
“B&W of Washington State Legislature With Capitol Dome Poking Into Cloud” by Joe A. Kunzler
As my reward for reading this far, I reached out to Rep. Abbarno, who reassured me that the top bill for our Coalition to freeze in HB 1055 would require becoming essential to the state budget to be unfrozen. I did kindly suggest to the well-intended Representative that removing the preference for Pennslyvania’s solution to public records adjucation could help the bill along in 2026.