‘Sunshine’ Committee discusses having WA Legislature sunset the committee

(The Center Square) – Washington state’s Public Records Exemptions Accountability Committee – also known as the “Sunshine” Committee – may be on its last legs. On Tuesday morning, committee members discussed a motion to the state Legislature recommending the repeal of the law regarding the creation and operation of the committee. The motion was ultimately tabled.

The 13-member committee was formed in 2007 to provide oversight to legislative actions affecting Washington’s transparency laws. Specifically, committee members are appointed by the governor to review existing exemptions to the state Public Records Act, as well as current legislation, and make recommendations to lawmakers to repeal or amend said exemptions.

The statute pertaining to the Public Records Exemptions Accountability Committee is Revised Code of Washington 42.56.140.

Some members of the committee say their fight for government transparency has become an exercise in futility.

In February, Seattle attorney Kathy George resigned from the committee, and Chair Linda Krese sent an email to Gov. Jay Inslee asking him not to reappoint her to the committee.

“I frankly think it’s a lot of effort to no real end, to no real purpose, and I think members of the committee have taken it very seriously,” Krese said at Tuesday’s hybrid in-person/virtual meeting. “I think we’ve worked hard on things and take these issues very seriously, and we write a report that is posted on a website and nobody pays any attention to no matter how well placed our recommendations might be.”

She cited only four meetings per year – often meaning lawmakers on the committee are unable to attend because of their legislative duties – and no budget as evidence the committee is not taken seriously.

“Right now it’s just sent to leadership of the Legislature, the governor, and the attorney general,” Krese said of the reports produced by the committee.

She expressed frustration with the committee’s lack of impact.

“If you look through the history over the years, almost nothing happens as a result of these reports,” Krese added.

Committee member Rep. Larry Springer, D-Kirkland, expressed similar sentiments.

“I’m coming to the conclusion that the exemptions from the Public Records Act that really matter – that people have major concerns about – will find their way to the Legislature with or without the ‘Sunshine’ Committee,” he said.

Committee member Melissa Luck, news director at KXLY – a commercial AM radio station in Spokane – said state government doesn’t seem to think transparency is important and that the committee must publicly explain any decision it ends up making.

“I think Washington publicly pats itself on the back for being a public records-friendly state so that last thing I would want is for it to appear that anybody on this committee was like, ‘Well, this isn’t important.’ Because I don’t think that’s what this committee is saying,” she explained.

The committee meets again in August.