Hours before becoming law, Governor Inslee vetoed the controversial public records exemption bill fast-tracked last week by state lawmakers in Olympia.
Gov. Inslee had several options before midnight: signing the bill into law, doing nothing and essentially allowing it to become law, vetoing the bill in full, or vetoing individual sections of the legislation.
His office announced the decision to veto the bill at 9 p.m.
Lawmakers can override a full or partial veto if they still maintain a supermajority of yes votes in the house and senate.
But, contrary to their votes made just days earlier, a number of lawmakers are changing their tune. Late Thursday night, Democrats from the House and Senate released letters saying "we made a mistake" and asked Gov. Inslee to veto the bill.
House Republicans also released a letter Thursday night, calling attention to HB 2255 and a need for continued transparency.
At last count, more than 6,300 people had called into the governor’s office and more than 12,500 sent emails; the vast majority had requested the Governor veto Senate Bill 6617.
The legislation fast-tracked and passed within around 48 hours would exempt lawmakers from the full scope of the state’s public disclosure act. While supporters of the bill argue it would expand access to some records starting in July 2018, including email between lobbyists and lawmakers, the same bill keeps older records private, hidden from view. It also contains an emergency clause, preventing a voter referendum.
Other state agencies and local governments across the state have to follow the same public disclosure law, prompting King County Council, the state Sunshine Committee and the Mayor of Federal Way to write the governor urging a veto.
“I believe that the people whom we represent have a right to know what we are doing in their name,” wrote Mayor Jim Ferrell of Federal Way.
State Representative Melanie Stambaugh, R-Puyallup, agrees. She also wrote the Governor asking for a veto after opposing the legislation on Friday.
“I’m in a rare position in that I’m a legislator, but I have also personally requested records from both the executive and legislative branch in my work with the ethics board last year,” said Stambaugh. “What we found is the executive branch—it was easy to get the records; they were very open, but the legislative branch was not. This senate bill further prohibits people from getting these records.”
“Government information belongs to the people, and it doesn’t matter what branch of government you’re in, you should be able to have access to what is going on, where it’s about you or an issue you care about, you should be able to ask those questions or get those answers,” Stambaugh continued.
Of the 147 state senators and representatives in the state legislature, only 21 voted against the bill on Friday.
Even supporters of the bill fault the hasty process by which it passed, with little to no public debate.
“I’ve said I cannot and will not defend what was an undemocratic process about a bill on transparency,” said Rep. Gerry Pollet (D-Seattle), who voted in favor of 6617.
“If the Governor does veto a section of the bill, the bill could be amended,” said Pollet in an interview with KING 5 on Wednesday. “In that case, I and some others would probably say that’s an opportunity for us to move forward with a public process. I don’t know what that would look like, but we’re discussing it.”
