State Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, has made no secret of his disdain for secretive negotiations for state workers.
This session, he’s again brought forth legislation that would require union negotiations to be open to the public. The talks are currently exempt from open meetings requirements.
It’s an exemption that makes little sense when considering the salaries and benefits that are ultimately awarded are paid for in full by taxpayers.
“Public sector collective bargaining should not be done in secret when the bill for those commitments ultimately goes to the taxpayers,” Braun said in a press release. “Citizens of our state should have the right to see how those negotiations are conducted.”
Senate Bill 5329 would provide just that.
It’s a reintroduction of a bill championed by Braun in the previous legislative session.
It’s unclear what chance, if any, the legislation has of being passed in a deeply divided state Legislature increasingly focused on state departments embroiled in controversy.
It certainly faces fierce opposition in the form of public sector unions, which wield considerable political sway inside the Capitol.
Still, we’re thankful Braun is continuing to carry the torch for open government, even if it makes him an enemy to those collecting paychecks funded by the taxpayers.
Cabinet Openings
Gov. Jay Inslee was visibly angry Monday when criticizing Senate Republicans for essentially firing his transportation secretary by voting against her confirmation.
He characterized the move as a political ploy, and in a gubernatorial election year, he’s likely not completely wrong.
The Washington State Department of Transportation has received fair criticism for a number of missteps in recent years, perhaps chief among them being the disaster that is the Seattle tunnel project.
Democrats countered that the project, which was halted by Inslee after a sinkhole opened.
The perceived need for change aside, Lynn Peterson was certainly treated poorly in what amounts to a firing by the Republican-controlled state Senate. We hope lawmakers will make wise decisions based on sound reasoning and not politics moving forward.
Department of Corrections Secretary Dan Pacholke may well have seen a similar fate had he not chosen to resign following news that 3,000 inmates were released due to a software error.
By most accounts, the error was not Pacholke’s fault, with him having taken the helm just last year.
Still, it seems fitting that Inslee draw someone from outside of state government to bring confidence and clarity to a department that has harbored an unfortunate secret for too many years.
