Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

Citizens complain that government information they're seeking is difficult to access. Government staffers  struggle with voluminous records requests intended solely to harass. Where's the middle ground? How can we solve this problem without resorting to expensive lawsuits? 

State Attorney General Rob McKenna and State Auditor Brian Sonntag have convened a new Open Government Task Force to study the creation of administrative board or other alternative to the courts to rule on complaints of violations of the Public Records Act and the Open Public Meetings Act. 

Other states--like New Jersey and Texas--have established alternatives to court action. Why not here?

Janelle Guthrie