Other LanguagesOLYMPIA--Attorney General Rob McKenna and 12 other Republican state attorneys general this week applied a little peer pressure to Republican senators, urging them to support a law that limits the federal government’s ability to force reporters to reveal their confidential sources.
Attorney General Rob McKenna and Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler successfully rallied 39 of their fellow state attorneys general to join them in urging Senate leaders to support the Free Flow of Information Act (S. 2035). The act recognizes a qualified reporter’s privilege and brings federal law in line with the laws of 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Access to government information is crucial in an information age. Sunshine Week is much, much more than an opportunity for policymakers and newspapers to talk about open government.
Sunshine Week is the time for the public to remind government officials that the work they do matters. People care and they want to be informed.
Wins and losses in the field of open government should be carefully tallied. Every citizen should know where their elected leaders stand on these issues and should urge them to support transparency at every opportunity.
That is the spirit of Sunshine Week.
The recent Sunshine Week poll indicates that more than 90 percent of respondents feel open government is important both at the state and local levels. Let’s use technology in our favor and increase transparency for those we serve
As both Attorney General and a former King County Council member, I have always believed in the core principle of transparency in government as a means of building trust and demonstrating accountability...Let’s use technology in our favor and increase transparency for those we serve.
Public officials conducting public business are accountable to the public even when discussing topics that are exempt from public disclosure. Recording executive sessions would provide officials with important proof of sensitive discussions that could help them when disputes arise in the future, saving valuable time and money for government and the taxpayers they serve.
OLYMPIA--At a hearing in Seattle today, Attorney General Rob McKenna urged Federal Communications Commissioners to take adequate time to fully study the impacts of its proposed rules on media consolidation before adopting them.
OLYMPIA…The Washington Newspaper Publishers Association (WNPA) awarded Attorney General Rob McKenna the Freedom’s Light award during its annual convention Friday in Yakima. The award recognizes those who have supported the freedom of the First Amendment and work hard to protect that right. McKenna received the award along with Rep. Lynn Kessler.
OLYMPIA…The Washington Coalition for Open Government awarded Attorney General Rob McKenna with the Key Award during its annual awards breakfast today at the Washington Athletic Club.