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Financial Management: The “Big Picture,” Part 2 March 20, 2019
Financial Management: The “Big Picture,” Part 1 March 18, 2019
Lessons Learned from Snowmaggedon March 14, 2019
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Agency Size Can Influence PRA Penalties
July 2, 2018 by Foster Pepper Category: Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
Read more | 2 comments
Supreme Court: Fire District Email Policy Violated First Amendment
February 22, 2018 by Ramsey Ramerman Category: Court Decisions, AGO Opinions and Regulations , Open Government Advisor
Read more | 0 comments
The Supreme Court Narrowly Construes the “Minimum-Value” Executive Session Exception to the OPMA
June 12, 2017 by Ramsey Ramerman Category: Court Decisions, AGO Opinions and Regulations , Open Public Meetings Act , Open Government Advisor
Legislature Considers PRA-related Bills
March 20, 2017 by Nancy Krier Category: Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
Further Guidance on Records Requests for “Commercial Purposes”
February 7, 2017 by Adrian Urquhart Winder Category: Court Decisions, AGO Opinions and Regulations , Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
Agencies Must Provide a “Reasonable Time Estimate” in their 5-day Response, Even When Seeking Clarification.
January 20, 2017 by Ramsey Ramerman Category: Court Decisions, AGO Opinions and Regulations , Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
Private Email Accounts but Public Records
January 5, 2017 by P. Stephen DiJulio and Philip Paine Category: Court Decisions, AGO Opinions and Regulations , Open Government Advisor , Council-Commission Advisor , Public Records Act
PRA Restriction on Providing Lists of Individuals for Commercial Purposes – More Updates
November 17, 2016 by Nancy Krier Category: Court Decisions, AGO Opinions and Regulations , Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
The commercial purpose restriction in the PRA restricts agencies from providing lists of individuals for a commercial purpose. Open Government Advisor Nancy Krier discusses the April 2016 SEIU 775 case, and several developments that have happened since then, that impact the commercial purpose restriction.
WA Court Of Appeals Determines When Records "Produced" to Trigger Statute of Limitations
June 23, 2016 by Adrian Urquhart Winder Category: Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
In White v. City of Lakewood, No. 47079-9-II (May 25, 2016), Division II of the Washington Court of Appeals applied a form of “mailbox rule” to the state Public Records Act (PRA) in defining when records have been “produced” sufficient to trigger the PRA’s one-year statut...
Washington Supreme Court Reviews "Other Statute" Exemption in Ruling on Sex Offender Records
June 7, 2016 by Adrian Urquhart Winder Category: Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
In Doe v. Washington State Patrol, the Washington Supreme Court held that the state’s community notification statute concerning registered sex offenders is not an “other statute” exemption under the Washington Public Records Act (PRA).
The requester in Doe sou...
What is an Agency's Obligation When a Records Request May Suggest Requester's "Commercial Purpose"?
May 9, 2016 by P. Stephen DiJulio Category: Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
Read more | 4 comments
2016 Legislature: Recap of Some Public Agency Records and Open Meetings Bills
April 11, 2016 by Nancy Krier Category: Open Public Meetings Act , Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
Lack of “Serious Independent Analysis" of Exemptions Can Result in Finding of Bad Faith Under PRA
September 29, 2015 by P. Stephen DiJulio Category: Court Decisions, AGO Opinions and Regulations , Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
In Adams v. Washington State Department of Corrections, Division II of the Court of Appeals held that for purposes of penalty calculation for agencies that do not comply with public records request (PRA) under RCW 42.56.565(1), an agency will be ...
Washington Court Holds Ballots Secret and Not Subject to Public Disclosure
August 25, 2015 by P. Stephen DiJulio Category: Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
The Washington Constitution, Article VI, Section 6 states: “The Legislature shall provide for such method of voting as will secure to every elector absolute secrecy in preparing and depositing his ballot.” This provision was central to a Washington Court of Appeals decision on July 13, 2015, rejecting a public records act request for “copies of electronic or digital image file...
Court of Appeals Reverses Large Public Records Act Penalty Imposed on University of Washington
March 24, 2015 by Adrian Urquhart Winder Category: Court Decisions, AGO Opinions and Regulations , Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
In Bichindaritz v. University of Washington, Division One of the Court of Appeals reversed a $723,290.50 penalty and $102,958.03 attorney fee award for violations of the Public Records Act by the Univers...
When is a Committee Not a Committee under the OPMA?
April 1, 2014 by P. Stephen DiJulio Category: Open Public Meetings Act , Open Government Advisor
Handling Vague and Complex Public Records Requests: Developing Your Plan of Attack
March 1, 2013 by Sara Di Vittorio Category: Open Government Advisor , Public Records Act
Addressing Disruptions at Public Meetings
April 18, 2012 by Ramsey Ramerman Category: Open Public Meetings Act , Legislative Body , Open Government Advisor
Supreme Court Underscores the Requirement to Produce an Exemption Log under the PRA
March 1, 2012 by Ramsey Ramerman Category: Open Government Advisor
This Advisor column was originally published in February 2009.
In its most recent public records act decision, Rental Housing Authority v. City of Des Moines, 2009 WL 146541 (Jan. 22, 2009), the Supreme Court ruled that the City of Des Moines did not trigger the one-year statute of limitations...
Court Holds Agencies Can Enforce Their Public Records Act Policies
This Advisor column was originally published in March 2009.
In a recently published opinion, Parmelee v. Clarke, -- Wn. App. --, 2008 WL 5657802 (publication ordered Feb. 2009), Division II of the Court of Appeals gave teeth to the Department of Corrections Publi...
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