King County Councilmembers Reagan Dunn and Joe McDermott are asking Gov. Jay Inslee to veto last week’s action by the state Legislature to limit requirements around providing open and transparent government.
A letter was sent Tuesday afternoon (see below).
“When politicians are in charge of billions of taxpayer dollars, the public deserves transparency,” said Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn in a news release. “The public and the press deserve so much better.”
Dunn’s district includes parts of Kent’s East Hill.
The state legislation, Senate Bill 6617, retroactively exempts legislators from the voter-approved Public Records Act. It limits the public disclosure of emails and legislative documents.
• Letter to Gov. Inslee:
“We are writing to ask you veto Engrossed Senate Bill 6617 and prevent the loss of public disclosure, openness and transparency in state government.
The Washington state Legislature passed Engrossed Senate Bi116617 on Friday, February 23, 2018, without a single public hearing. The bill would retroactively exempt legislators from the Washington state voter-approved Public Records Act and have the effect of shielding legislative documents from public disclosure.
Preventing public disclosure of legislative documents will limit the transparency and openness of state government. This is not an acceptable way for our state government to operate. We must trust that our legislators will operate openly and in full compliance with disclosure laws.
We ask for your veto of this legislation.”
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
