Lawmakers in Olympia acted with unprecedented speed to protect records from the eyes of the public. Legislators in the House and Senate pushed through a measure with veto-proof majorities that retroactively exempts lawmakers from the state’s Public Records Act.
This means that members of the House and Senate will not have to disclose certain records such as communications with constituents, unlike electeds at other levels of government such as city councils.
The legislation came on the heels of a January court decision that found legislators were subject to public disclosure laws.
Ashley Archibald is a Staff Reporter covering local government, policy and equity. Have a story idea? She can be can reached at ashleya (at) realchangenews (dot) org. Twitter @AshleyA_RC
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