Inslee Vetoes Unpopular Public Records Exemption Bill

OLYMPIA, WA - Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed a bill Thursday night that would have exempted state lawmakers from the Public Records Act. The bill, which the Legislature passed with unusual speed, face criticism from the public, including the editors of many newspapers across Washington. Inslee called the level of the public's swift response "unprecedented."

The Legislature had accelerated the process to pass the bill by skipping going to committee and not having a public hearing.

The exemption measure was passed almost unanimously by the Senate and House in a few hours, only two days after its introduction. In a statement, Inslee said he was vetoing the bill due to the "seriously flawed" process of its passage.

"I applaud Washingtonians for making their voices heard as well as legislators' thoughtful reconsideration," Inslee said. In a tweet, Inslee said that several legislators had reconsidered their positions and asked him to veto the bill.

The Seattle Times was one of the media outlets that criticized the Legislature's process in passing the bill. "With dizzying speed and no public debate, state lawmakers passed the bill sealing off thousands of records that could inform voters how well their elected leaders are representing them. The entire process took about 48 hours — alarmingly fast for Washington's frequently plodding Legislature."

Image courtesy Gov. Jay Inslee