Timely op/eds on ongoing access issues appeared recently in The Northern Light and The Seattle Times.

Our September 2025 newsletter is out, with updates on Olympia’s efforts at secrecy, the governor’s overdue policy on message retention and WashCOG’s renewed efforts to reach out to other advocates of access.

Gov. Bob Ferguson will “soon” announce a decision on whether state agencies can resume auto-deleting internal electronic messages, his aide told some media. But does that mean days, weeks or months? And will his decision promote transparency?

Our state Legislature’s march toward secrecy is speeding up, despite lawsuits, massive public outcry and even a ruling that was largely against them from the state Supreme Court.

The Washington Coalition for Open Government is appalled at the new state House of Representatives’ policy allowing legislators to immediately delete a growing number of emails and auto-delete many more after 30 days.

The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that state collective bargaining agreements are exempt from the Public Records Act, supporting a state agency that withheld documents using a technicality in the law.

After settling a PRA lawsuit against Western Washington University last year, three alumni have used the funds to establish a permanent endowment for student investigative journalism at the university. (Photo from their 2019 announcement of the suit.)

The Spring 2025 newsletter offers WashCOG’s take on the recently-completed legislative session, our successful Sunshine Breakfast and ongoing battle against “legislative privilege.”

The Washington state Public Records Act collided with a parental claim of privacy on May 2, 2025 during an hour-long online hearing in Douglas County Superior Court.

At issue is whether public records routinely available for a vehicle crash should be provided to the media or if a third party could block disclosure because a minor was involved.

Melissa Luck, news director of KXLY 4 News in Spokane, has been named a Key Award winner for her consistent advocacy for open government as a broadcast journalist in Washington. She has been with the station for 22 years, and is known for her passion about journalism and, particularly, local news.

WashCOG is urging transparency advocates this week to call members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee to ask that they pass SB 5400, “Supporting Local News Journalism.” Local news nourishes our democracy, keeping citizens and residents informed about ongoing issues — and this bill gives them a needed financial hand.

WashCOG will honor Sen. Mike Chapman with the Ballard-Thompson Award for pledging not to withhold information from the public through a bogus dodge to the Public Records Act that legislators are calling “legislative privilege.”

Attorney General Nick Brown pledged support for government transparency and constituent access in his keynote address at WashCOG’s annual Sunshine Breakfast. The event also honored advocates of the public’s right to know.

The death of former House Speaker Frank Chopp on Saturday, March 22, came as sad and unexpected news.

Chopp, the longest-serving speaker of the House and a longtime supporter of open government, had been honored March 14 with the Ballard-Thompson Award.

Colette Weeks has succeeded Juli Bunting as executive director for the Washington Coalition for Open Government. Bunting will continue as a part-time coalition adviser until she retires at the end of the year.

It’s the 20th anniversary of Sunshine Week, a weeklong recognition of the importance of open government and access to public records.

WashCOG will honor open-government advocates, journalists and legislators at its annual Sunshine Breakfast on March 14 in Bellevue, Washington. State Attorney General Nick Brown will be the keynote speaker, and tickets are still available.

WashCOG is pleased that the governor has paused state agencies’ practice of auto-deleting text messages, but what happens next will show how serious the state is about accountability and transparency.

Washington’s newest governor has always said he supports transparency in government, but has hung up a bit of a curtain so far; he has not met regularly with the Olympia media covering the state legislature, The Seattle Times reports. WashCOG weighs in.

The Winter 2025 newsletter shares WashCOG’s activities tracking legislation and legislators, promoting the PRA to student journalists and planning our annual Sunshine Breakfast.