The legislative session will convene next week, on January 8, and is scheduled to run for 60 days. Emily Boerger of the WA State Wire has shared a short list of some issues to watch closely over the next few months in Olympia:
Carbon Pricing, Addressing the Opioid Epidemic, Net Neutrality, and Legislative Transparency.
“Rep. Paul Grave’s Legislative Transparency Act would alter the language of the Public Records Act so that state legislators are no longer exempt from public records requests. This topic is currently at the center of a lawsuit filed by the Associated Press against the Legislature.
In September, members of the press sued the Legislature, challenging their claim that they are not legally required to comply with open-records requests. On December 22, a Thurston County Superior Judge heard arguments in the case and commented that he was “somewhat skeptical that legislative offices are not subject to the public records act,” but that he would need more information before issuing a ruling.
Public records requests could include documents like emails, calendars, financial records, or receipts, all of which would add an additional layer of accountability to legislators.”
Read Emily’s full post HERE
