Welcome guidance on speeding public records duty

By The Herald Editorial Board

Things may soon look a bit sunnier, a little more quickly.

Regardless of the weather, an effort by the state Attorney General’s Office promises to shine more sunlight more quickly on the public records generated and held by state and local governments.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is proposing a clarification of rules for the state’s Public Records Act that are intended to provide guidance on the handling of those records to provide more timely release of the records requested by the public and media.

The state Public Records Act, made law by citizen initiative in 1972, requires release of public records at all levels of government related to the work performed on the public’s behalf. The law’s reasoning holds that in delegating the people’s authority to its representatives, the people have not forfeited the right for transparency of government. That transparency is necessary to ensure government is operating as expected for the public’s benefit.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-welcome-guidance-on-speeding-public-records-duty/