Washington Task Force Suggests New Records Office
From Sunshine Review
[edit] November 3, 2009
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Olympia, WA On Tuesday November 2, the Washington state open records task force announced that it would endorse a new Office of Open Records, which when created by the legislature, would handle open records disputes and reduce the need for pursuing remedies through the judiciary. The Office would be modeled after open records offices in other states, including Pennsylvania and Connecticut. While their function was merely advisory, the committee hopes that the four legislators on the committee will endorse and sponsor a bill to create the office sometime in the near future.[1]
[edit] Controversy on the committee
The task force was created by Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna and Democratic state Auditor Brian Sonntag with the intention of investigating new methods for enforcing and uphold the Washington Public Records Act. While it unanimously agreed to endorse the new Office, many committee members voiced concern about founding a new office within the current economy and the budget woes the state of Washington. Further, one committee member, attorney Craig Ritchie, suggested including incentives to use the Office in order to reduce disclosure and legal costs for public agencies. [1]
[edit] Other recommendations
The committee was split as to the recommended structure of the Office, with 10 favoring appointment of a director and 5 favoring the election of commissioners. The committee also failed to endorse mandatory use of the Office, with a 13-3 making use of the Office optional.[1]
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