Loophole in records law must be fixed
November 21, 2008: Members of the state's Sunshine Committee want to close a loophole in the law that allows government entities to block the release of public documents based on attorney-client privilege.
When state lawmakers convene in Olympia next January, they must give serious consideration to the Sunshine Committee's recommendation. The attorney-client exemption should only apply if the documents are relevant to a pending lawsuit -- a live controversy, in other words. Read the full article here.
Records show property worth millions missing from local schools
November 17, 2008: They cost taxpayers millions: Desktop computers, laptops, printers, scanners, digital cameras, camcorders, LCD projectors and interactive white boards.
They're supposed to be in the classroom, but thousands of pieces of high tech equipment are missing from our local schools. And no one can tell the Problem Solvers - or parents - where they are.
We used public records laws to get inventory reports for the Puget Sound area's largest school districts. We spent weeks analyzing the data, and our investigation determined nearly 9,500 items purchased with your tax dollars have disappeared.Read the full article here.
Change Washington law to open government
November 16, 2008: The state Legislature should blow away the clouds gathering over open-government practices in recent years and follow the clear recommendation of its own so-called Sunshine Committee.
Officially known as the Public Records Accountability Executive Committee, the panel voted 7-3 Wednesday, urging the Legislature to pass legislation to raise the shades on what has become a state Supreme Court-condoned practice of excessively hiding information from the public. Read the full article here.
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