The Universal Truth About Public Records

WA public records guidelines may get revamp _ The Seattle Times

 

There is a universal truth: The people inside the government want the people outside the government to only know what they want them to know, unless greater disclosure is compelled, or is likely to be compelled, by a judge.

If you read Beryl Love’s July 1 ,2025 column, he reported that this past summer, in this year’s budget bill, the Ohio legislature made “text messages and emails between lawmakers and their staff exempt from public records request.” My sense is that the law is not that broad and, in any event, does not appear to apply to city councils. Could you imagine? It is bad enough as it is.

If you remember, the “Gang of Five” was uncovered as a result of a public records request for text messages of city council members by a citizen.

I try to keep up with news about Seattle’s government since I have family that live there. It is happening there as well. But people there are putting up a fight against further exempting public records from disclosure.  Good for them.