Local

Court ruling requires lawmakers to abide by public records act

State lawmakers didn't create the Public Records Act, citizens did with an initiative. Today's ruling from Thurston County Judge Chris Lanese means lawmakers will have to abide by it.

When KIRO 7, the Associated Press and other news outlets asked for lawmakers' calendars and emails, most lawmakers said no.

But Lanese said individual lawmakers are not exempt from the Public Records Act despite amendments over the years.

Scroll down to continue reading

Trending headlines

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP

“Representatives and senators in their offices are agencies under the public records act,” he wrote.

Open government lawyer Michelle Earl-Hubbard says members of the general public will benefit.

“If you want to get the calendars of your legislators showing what he or she was doing on government time. You want to get their emails you want to get their texts you have a right to those just like you do for your City Council people and your school board people.”

However, the ruling does not make clear whether administrators for the House and Senate must release records of sexual harassment investigations and settlements.

“It is incredibly important for the public to be able to monitor that to be able to assess that and decide if that's the appropriate way for our elected leaders to behave,” Earl-Hubbard said.

“You have a right to know what I am doing as a legislator in terms of who influences me, who is lobbying me, who I'm spending my time with,” said Seattle Democratic Rep. Gerry Pollet.

But he worries the ruling could breach the privacy of average citizens.

“I am concerned that correspondence with a constituent about their health care benefits would be subject to the public records act.

Pollet has introduced legislation to open lawmakers’ records to the public with some exemptions. He says it would eliminate the need for the current lawsuit.