OLYMPIA — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is still weighing whether or not to veto a bill hastily passed by the Washington Legislature last week that circumvents a recent court ruling that found state lawmakers are fully subject to the state’s voter-approved Public Records Act.
Inslee has until midnight Thursday to take one of four options available to him: he can sign the measure, veto it completely, partially veto it, or take no action, in which case it would become law immediately. Lawmakers passed the measure on a wide enough margin that they could seek to override any full or partial veto.
The bill that passed Friday would retroactively specify that the state’s voter-approved Public Records Act does not apply to the legislative branch. The bill creates a more limited legislative disclosure obligation for legislative records, and would allow release of some lawmaker correspondence and records beginning on July 1.
