Open Government Town Hall examines access in Bellingham

The Washington Coalition for Open Government is celebrating its 20th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Referendum 276, which enacted access laws regarding public records and campaign contributions, by hosting Town Hall events in Washington. Our first was Oct. 9, 2022 at Western Washington University in Bellingham. Co-sponsors include the League of Women Voters of Bellingham and Whatcom County, The Munro Institute at WWU, the Associated Students Office of Civic Engagement and the Department of Journalism at WWU.

Special thanks to TVW, a nonprofit, nonpartisan broadcast outlet offering unedited coverage of Washington state government, politics and public policy. The Bellingham TVW crew covered our event, you and you can view it here.

Audience at the Open Government Town Hall

Attorney Bill Crittenden, who assisted Baxter and Fields.

WWU journalism alumni Erasmus Baxter and Asia Fields led a presentation on their use of public records research when reporting on a series of stories about sexual assault and harassment among students. Their work appeared in both The Western Front and The AS Review and led to a 2018 Key Award from the Coalition. They continued to pursue their reporting after graduating, and shared their experience and advice with attendees and with the current staff of Western’s student newspaper.

Panelists Erb, Wineinger, Earl-Hubbard, Ryan and Nelson.

WashCOG Executive Board member and WWU instructor George Erb led a panel discussion, “Informed citizens are engaged citizens,” addressing how open government and civic education strengthen democracy. Participants stressed the importance of public dialogue, recognition and acceptance of factual information and government transparency. Panelists included WWU Prof. Cathy Wineinger, Department of Political Science; Michele Earl-Hubbard, attorney with Allied Law Group and a WashCOG officer; Keara Ryan, director of the ASWWU Office of Civic Engagement; and Amy Edstrom Nelson, representing the Whatcom County League of Women Voters and also the publisher of the nonprofit news site Salish Current.

The Open Government Town Hall also featured an info-fair featuring cosponsoring organizations, several of them offering voter registration and information about their civic engagement activities.

The ASWWU Office of Civic Engagement provided information about its services and voter registration.