The Senate Committee on Government Operations heard public testimony today on SB 6109: Exempting video and audio recordings of closed executive session meetings from public inspection and copying. SB 6109 reflects a new strategy by the Attorney General and State Auditor to ensure that executive sessions aren’t being misused in violations of the state’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA). I

The state’s searchable budget transparency website (www.fiscal.wa.gov) has a new feature: Washington’s “Vendor Checkbook.” This is the equivalent of the state’s checkbook. Here is how this new resource is described: “The Vendor Checkbook is jointly maintained by the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and the Office of the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee (LEAP). The Vendor Checkbook information represents

The Office of Financial Management has released the 2011 Personnel Detail Report. According to OFM: “This edition of the Personnel Detail Report includes total calendar year earnings for employees on the state payroll at any time between Jan. 1 2010 and Dec. 31 2010. The report is compiled by the state Office of Financial Management (OFM) from information provided by

In the waning hours of the “budget focused” special session Democrats in the House and Senate both attempted to cue up votes on a tax bill not assumed in the budget that no one expected to pass. The strategy was to try to gain legal standing to sue the voters to overturn the 18 year old 2/3 vote requirement for

Though it took a special session to finish its work on the 2011-13 budget, the legislature took positive steps this year to put the state on a more sustainable budget path. Despite progress, however, an inadequate reserve fund coupled with ongoing economic uncertainty and projected future spending pressure leaves the state’s budget outlook on tenuous ground highlighting the need for