Registration opens for 2026 Sunshine Breakfast

Keynote by journalist Miranda Spivack

The Washington Coalition for Open Government is gathering to honor open-government advocates, journalists and legislators at the annual event March 13 at the Embassy Suites in Bellevue.

Doors open at 7:30 a.m. and breakfast begins at 8 a.m. Tickets are available now, priced at $50 for a single seat or a discounted $325 for a table of eight.

At the annual event, WashCOG presents several of its annual awards, including the Toby Nixon Award for long-term commitment to open government efforts; the James Andersen Award, for extraordinary effort advancing the efforts of WashCOG; and the Kenneth F. Bunting Award, for outstanding journalism that uses or advances Washington’s open government laws. The coalition also sometimes presents other awards, including the Falconer Shine the Light Award and Ballard/Thompson Award, which recognizes legislators.

Featured speaker will be Miranda Spivack, a journalist and author whose latest book “Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms our Communities — and the Local Heroes Fighting Back” tells the stories of five “accidental activists” whose use of access laws brought change to their communities.

Previous events: 2025 Sunshine Breakfast, 2024 Sunshine Breakfast, 2023 Sunshine Breakfast and 2022 Sunshine Breakfast.