Other LanguagesUnder the provisions of RCW 42.17.260 ‑ 42.17.310, a determination that certain records in the custody of a city police department do, or do not, contain specific intelligence information or the identity of persons who file complaints with investigative, law enforcement, or penology agencies will not, by and of itself, establish whether the records involved may legally be disclosed to the news media or other members of the public; instead, in each case a further determination must be made, on the basis of the facts of the particular case, whether disclosure will violate an individual's right of personal privacy or a vital governmental interest.
A "political committee", within the meaning of Initiative No. 276, is not merely an organization which is formed for the purpose of supporting particular candidates for public office but, in addition, as defined in RCW 42.17.020(22), the term also includes an organization which receives contributions or makes expenditures in opposition to any candidate or ballot proposition.
(1) The provisions of RCW 42.17.300 which relate to the charges that may be imposed for providing copies of certain "public records" under Initiative No. 276 do not supersede the preexisting fees for copies of UCC security transaction filings under RCW 62A.9-407 or of corporation papers under RCW 23A.40.030, RCW 24.03.410 and RCW 24.06.455 in any cases because those documents do not constitute "public records" within the meaning of that initiative.
(2) RCW 42.17.300 does not supersede the preexisting fees for copies of state records provided for in RCW 43.07.120 in those cases where the individual seeking such copies is asking for them as a matter of right under RCW 43.07.030(7), supra, rather than merely requesting to inspect them and then to be allowed to use the secretary of state's facilities to himself make the copies he desires.
It is not a violation of Initiative No. 276 for a public agency to allow its public records to be examined by others for the purpose of compiling lists of information contained in those records; however, the agency itself is prohibited by the initiative from making and selling or giving away those lists.
An organization dealing with its own funds does not become a "political committee" under RCW 42.17.020(22), merely by making contributions of those funds to or in support of a candidate for public office or ballot proposition; such an organization, however, will constitute a political committee if it receives contributions from others which, with the actual or constructive knowledge of the contributors, are set aside to be used for the support of such candidates or proposition.