The people of Washington state deserve hearty congratulations for receiving the James Madison Award from the Washington Coalition for Open Government on Friday.
Their collective action demanding open and transparent government, including some 20,000 calls, letters and emails to Gov. Jay Inslee and countless more to legislators, forced Inslee to veto the Legislature’s odious attempt to exempt itself from public-records laws that apply to other agencies.
This fight isn’t over, however. Lawmakers apologized, but diligence is needed to prevent them from trying again to give themselves special treatment and restrict what public records the public may see.
The Washington Coalition for Open Government is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to defend and strengthen open-government laws.
Members include citizen activists, government officials, attorneys and representatives of labor, media and public-policy organizations.
It annually presents the James Madison Award to individuals or organizations who demonstrate exceptional dedication to the First Amendment.
This award caps a proud moment in Washington history. Together the people defended one of the state’s core values and asserted their authority over those serving them in Olympia.
Among them is Gordon Padget, a Navy retiree from Vancouver. Early on Feb. 22, he read a Columbian story online about Senate Bill 6617. He clicked a link to the bill, read the text and decided he must try to stop it. He woke his wife and said he had to go to Olympia. He accepted the award on behalf of the citizens, along with Pam Wascher of Redmond and Charles Lie of Gold Bar.
Asia Fields and Erasmus Baxter received a Key Award for reporting at Western Washington University about students suspended for sexual assault then readmitted. Former Times Executive Editor Mike Fancher received the James Andersen Award for furthering the coalition’s work. Rachel La Corte, Associated Press Olympia correspondent, and state media organizations received the Kenneth F. Bunting Award for coverage of the Legislature’s efforts to exempt itself from the Public Records Act. La Corte’s early 2017 stories led to a lawsuit over the situation that’s now before the state Supreme Court.
Padget fired up when he realized SB 6617 allowed no judicial review when records requests were denied, meaning “legislators would decide if they wanted stuff released and if they didn’t, their own committee would review and that was it.”
Because the Legislature rushed the bill through, providing just a token window for public comment with little advance notice, Padget was among just a few who were able to testify against 6617.
“I haven’t felt strongly like this about something since the military, having to get a mission accomplished,” he said Friday.
Lawmakers should have paid more attention to Padget. His concerns reflected those of residents across the state, who responded en masse once they learned what was happening.
Congratulations Washingtonians and thank you. Now, let’s make sure the Legislature doesn’t try it again.
