Due to the almost-certain fact that news will break later this week, I’m just turning in an editorial for this Sunday. I also need to start working on a backlog of Key Award nominations alongside some other open government projects. Thanks for your understanding I wanted to keep this Beehiv under 900 words.

          OK, why do I care so much about the Washington State Press Pass Saga – with thanks to Coleen Johnson of The Center Square for coining the phrase. All thoughts mine!

          I’ll give you one hint – remember the Trojan Horse? That fable and movie “Odyssey” about sneaking in soldiers inside a gift horse to take the city of Troy.

          Imagine for a minute the press passes are the Trojan horse and the hidden soldiers are actually lobbyists and a few crazy people wanting more access to state legislators. Without the right pass, the horse cannot get in.

          Well, the only two things these press passes do is allow access to a press table by the Speaker’s desk and also the wings of the State House. Winners – for want of a better word – cannot approach legislators to initiate a discussion. For instance, if Ari Hoffman, Brandi Kruse, and Jonathan Choe win – these passes will not let them into House Democratic caucus press conferences. I’m confident legislative Democrats will only escalate their efforts to avoid contact with the press.

          Additionally, there is the matter of many lobby groups have their own news websites full of statements. So if Hoffman-Kruse-Choe are successful, then these three lobby groups have a good argument to have access to the wings of the legislature and the press table. I would say these groups in particular have a decent body of work to make their case in that event:

         Some other groups I checked, like Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) have websites more about their legislative priorities than interspliced with some news like the above.

          You may have noticed that I picked on four groups that have been outspoken about public records and public meetings legislation. I am certain most of my readers would not be thrilled about more access for these groups who continually take positions generally hostile to open government.

          Nor am I. We already have lobbyists that can wait a level above the wings for legislative action and breaks to make appropriate outreach to state legislators. I am asking skeptics of the resistance to letting Hoffman-Kruse-Choe into the press club to see this framing.

          Of course, the fact the three openly call for folks to cancel subscriptions to The Seattle Times and one of whom made borderline threats against journalists assigned to the state legislature, among other acts of misbehavior, may and likely will create a hostile work environment for legislative journalists, legislators and legislative staff. We do not want Washington State embarrassed. That is not reason to litigate with taxpayer dollars, but this is a supplemental cause.

          Of course, the fact that the Franklin News Foundation received $1.206,550 in 2024 alone from Steve Gordon’s and Brian Heywood’s Project 42 to fund The Center Square – a Project 42 “capacity group” as per an IRS filing – increasingly becoming a Washington State version of the Wall Street Journal is of concern. This is the same Project 42 that shoveled out the door $294,236 to Dann Mead Smith to help run operations. This financial involvement should be of concern, especially considering Heywood’s ability to get initiatives on the ballot – some of which I happen to support.

          There are also some things I need to sit on for now. Soon, those things will come to light via the Public Disclosure Commission. In conclusion, I offer a Heather “Newsbrooke” Brooke, Ph.D. quotation,

That is why I support open government. That is also why I support transparency in campaign finance.

There is also a recent podcast by Washington State Association of Counties interviewing the leader of the Muincipal Research & Services Center (MRSC). I highly recommend the podcast episode as the MRSC is a thought leader on open government issues. Unlike the claims of the podcaster and his guest, I heard of the MRSC in my… 20s!

With that, the MRSC is also about to put on an annual free training on public records law updates for 2026. There is also an upcoming training with a fee on RCW 42.30, the the Open Public Meetings Act. The MRSC has a website full of resources on both.

I have hemmed and hawed on this, but I will not be endorsing any candidates this election on this Beehiv. It has been communicated to me that my endorsement may not be helpful to some candidates. Also I need to be careful so I can seek a Washington State legislative press pass at a future date.

But PLEASE vote by August 4 and use a ballot drop-box to return your ballot.