The latest C-3 report from Protect Marriage Washington must have assumed that the group would prevail in its request that it not be required to disclose names of donors.

The report, filed August 10, which shows donors to the campaign for the previous week listed only initials of those who gave money. That's not what state law requires and the Public Disclosure Commission staff has contacted the committee.

"We've asked them to report the actual names," said PDC spokeswoman Lori Anderson.

Last week an attorney representing supporters of R-71, which seeks to repeal enhancements of gay partnership laws passed this year, asked the PDC to exempt disclosure of donors. He asserted there have been threats of violence and harassment against donors (R-71 has already succeeded in sealing the names of those who signed petitions).

The PDC, however, rejected a request for an emergency meeting and scheduled the matter for its regular August 27 meeting. In the meantime, current law prevails which requires the disclosure of donors names and towns.

Signatures on the referendum are still being verified by the secretary of state.

This is all moving kind of fast. U.S. Rep. Brian Baird has just posted an announcement on his web site that he will now set up five town hall meetings in his district to discuss health care reform.

"Frankly, I have had concerns about how we can have constructive dialogue and, unfortunately, in response to some of the things we've been seeing across the nation I have said some things myself that I regret," Baird said.

"I want to express that regret directly and announce that we will be holding a series of five town halls so people can express their opinions and ask questions. My hope and trust is that we can have the kinds of informative exchanges that I have valued for so long and that reveal the very best of public discourse."

The first is set for Vancouver's Skyview High School at 7 p.m. next Tuesday.

Baird, D-Vancouver, has a longer statement on the issue here.

During the discussion of the request by proponents of Referendum 71 to keep secret the names of donors to the campaign, I brought up the last time a similar request was made.

That was in 1994, also surrounding a ballot proposition dealing with gay rights. That year, two initiatives that sought to ban passage of laws giving civil rights protections to gays and lesbians were on the ballot. Opponents, calling themselves Hands Off Washington, asked the PDC for an exemption from disclosure rules.

Opponents were willing to disclose the names and amounts given by donors. But they opposed a recent PDC rule requiring that the occupations and employers of donors also be listed. In January, the PDC passed a temporary exemption – timed to give the Legislature time to address the issue.

The exemption was repealed six weeks later when the Legislature failed to act. Opponents of those initiatives claimed the extra information could lead to harassment and discrimination against donors.

In 1995, the Legislature passed a law eliminating the requirement that donors' occupations and employers be listed. That section, however, was vetoed by then-Gov. Mike Lowry.

Now it is the other side of the issue seeking exemptions from disclosure. Backers of R-71, which would repeal recently passed gay partnership laws, have already succeeded in getting the names of those who signed the referendum sealed. They now seek to have all information about campaign donors sealed as well.

The PDC will meet August 27 to discuss the request.

The City of Federal Way has released a more complete copy of an investigative report into whether Municipal Court Judge Michael Morgan operated a hostile workplace.

We went all the way to the state Supreme Court recently to win release of the report. We feel voters are entitled to see it, especially as Morgan pursues reelection this year. To see a copy of the original, redacted version released by the city, click here. To see our story about the report, click here.

The more complete report goes into much greater detail about comments that Morgan allegedly made to court staff about his former colleague, Judge Colleen Hartl.

It's easy to see why Federal Way took its time before releasing the extra material. The things Morgan allegedly said about Hartl are unflattering and salacious. We have decided not to write a story about them or post them to our Web site.

The new information might be of interest to voters as they consider Morgan's reelection. But we had to weigh that public interest against the potential of doing further damage to the reputation of Hartl by publishing unsubstantiated claims. Hartl is no longer a public figure and isn't running for elected office.

Even so, we are happy to have spent the time and money to secure the full report as a public document. You can make a request in person at City Hall, 33325 Eighth Ave South, or you can e-mail city clerk Carol McNeilly at carol.mcneilly@cityoffederalway.com.

An electronic copy is free; a printed copy will cost 15 cents per page.

Adam Wilson of The Olympian and Rich Roesler of the (Spokane) Spokesman Review announced this week they are taking other jobs.

Adam is going to write speeches for the governor; Rich is going to handle communications for the insurance commissioner. I suspect both are getting hefty pay raises.

I can't fault them in the least. The newspaper industry is going through some pretty bad throes and both Adam and Rich have taken pay and benefit cuts that they don't deserve. And they have young families.

I'm not going to rattle off all the others who have left the statehouse beat in just the past year, but that list is longer than the list of those of us who are left.

The most worrisome aspect of the ongoing erosion of the state capitol press corps is that YOU are losing your future watchdogs. Both of these guys are in the early to middle years of their careers. They're the "best and brightest."

Their respective newspapers say they will be replaced. But there is a lot of institutional knowledge that each of their replacements will have to gain. And that will take time.

By my count, we are down to 7 reporters, not enough to cover all the bases -- not in baseball, not in state government.

Here is Rich's goodbye. And here is Adam's.

And just to punctuate the issue, here's another job opening in state government: Gov. Chris Gregoire needs a press secretary. It pays $75,000 to $80,000 a year.

ORGANIZATION: Washington State Office of the Governor
POSITION: Press Secretary
SALARY RANGE: $75,000 per year
CLOSING DATE: July 12

=> Read more!

Attorney General Rob McKenna has launched a new website to help residents find their way through the state's open records laws.

The site is called “Unredacted: Uncovering the truth about Public Records and Open Public Meetings."

“Citizens contact us when, for example, they believe that a city or county council meeting has been held illegally behind closed doors,” McKenna said in a statement. “Our new site provides a road map for pulling back the curtain to find out what elected officials are up to.”

Find the site, called Unredacted, here.

The Center for Public Integrity took a look at all 50 states to see how rigorous their legislative financial disclosure laws are. Only three – Washington, Hawaii and Louisiana – received A's. Twenty states flunked.

California and Oregon received C's. Most of the rest of the West flunked.

"Too many states still get a failing grade when it comes to adequate transparency for their elected public officials," said Center Executive Director Bill Buzenberg.

"For 10 years now, the Center for Public Integrity has tracked this issue so citizens can know about the potential conflicts of interests in state government. The more information that remains hidden, the less likely the public will know about conflicts and undue influence."

Check out the center's interactive map to see how Washington ranks.

The League of Women Voters of Washington is holding its annual convention in downtown Tacoma this weekend, and using the opportunity to highlight area institutions.

The theme of this year’s event is “Reflections on Democracy” to tie in with the glass-art decor of The Hotel Murano, headquarters for the convention, and the Museum of Glass. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is scheduled to give the keynote address Friday.

On Saturday evening, members will hold their annual Good In Government Awards Gala at the Washington State History Museum. The award “recognizes individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions toward achieving good government,” according to a press release. Award recipients include Tacoma state Sen. Rosa Franklin, The Korean Women’s Association and The News Tribune.

Here is press release with more on the awards:

=> Read more!

Sound Politics says it $225,000 out of King County.

Add that to the state Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, and King County officials have cost their taxpayers more than $1 million by not abiding by the state public records law.

Here's The Associated Press story we posted on our main Web page.

ProPublica, an independent, non-profit news agency, has launched an interactive bailout Web site. You can, for example, check out which banks in Washington are getting money.

The total bailout committed to Washington-based institutions is $957.6 million, which is 0.2% of the total bailout so far committed.

Here are the two in Tacoma that are getting funds:
Columbia Banking System, $76.9 million
Pierce County Bancorp, $6.8 million

The Washington Attorney General's Office has issued an opinion that has prompted the Palouse mayor and City Council to change their policy on public comments at council meetings. And it should serve as a warning to other public officials who don't like it when gadflies criticize the actions or behavior of city workers.

Here's the story that ran today in The Boomerang, the newspaper in Palouse.

But basically, council meetings used to begin with a statement that "the council will not entertain any comments regarding personnel issues of city staff."

Assistant Attorney General Tim Ford essentially told the council to "Stop that!"

What Ford actually said was that "restriction was unreasonable, an attempt to silence opinions and a pretext for censorship.

"The city may not restrict speech it merely dislikes," Ford said.

Here that Mayor Bill Baarsma? How 'bout you, Council chairman Roger Bush?

I just got a copy of the AG opinion.

As a journalist and a local resident, an experience I had today trying to obtain some of the most basic public records from the town of Ruston has left me, well, flabbergasted.

I called the Town Hall this morning and explained that I wanted to come down and look at the town council agendas from March because they hadn't been posted on their Web site yet. I was told that was fine.

Then I said I also wanted to a copy of the 2009 town budget, which was approved by the council in January. There was a long pause -- maybe five or 10 seconds. "You'll have to fill out a public records request," I was told. I agreed and said I'd be down shortly.

When I arrived, I was asked to fill out a public records request to even look at the March council agendas. I filled out the form and was told I would be contacted when my request was ready -- the woman who was helping me was informed by another woman in the office that they legally had five days to respond to my request.

Under the law, that may be true. But as a journalist I've never before encountered such a delay for such a basic request.

Where does that leave a citizen who wants to know what's going to be happening at the next council meeting?

Has anyone else out there run into similar issues with Ruston?

Update: I've received a couple e-mails responding to my post directing me to a couple of the Ruston blogs where details from council meetings are posted. My response has been that in fact, I wanted to look at the meeting agendas (and if need be the minutes) in an effort to verify some of what appears on the blogs, where anyone can write anything and present it as official.

And to clarify, it struck me (both as a local resident and a journalist trying to do my job) that to ask citizens to automatically wait five days to even look at the previous month's agendas from council meetings -- documents which the woman who was initially helping me seemed to be printing out and holding in her hand while I was at the counter -- was completely unnecessary.

Update 2: My copy of the 2009 budget was ready first thing Monday morning. By that time, I'd already confirmed the item I was looking for from the March agenda.