Open window, let sunshine in on government affairs, actions

Pardon our enthusiasm for Sunshine Week, but this gets right to the heart of what we do.

Sunshine Week, which begins today, started in 2002 as a nationwide effort to highlight the public's right to know what its government is doing and why. The American Society of News Editors took the lead in this initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.

It's not just a newspaper initiative; you'll find participants from broadcast and online journalism along with civic groups, libraries, nonprofits and schools -- all have an interest in the public's right to know, as does the public itself. The main goal is to foster a discussion about the need for open government; participants can raise awareness by putting on a public forum, for example, or initiating a classroom discussion.

We'll use Sunshine Week to remind readers of recent instances -- at the local and state levels -- in which government officials have resisted the public's right to know.

In January, the state Supreme Court, in a case instigated by the Yakima Herald-Republic, ruled unanimously that Yakima County violated the state Public Records Act when it withheld billing records for more than $2 million paid to defend a pair of murder suspects.

It wasn't a total victory for the newspaper, as the Supreme Court sent the case back to Yakima County for review by the Superior Court and county agencies. It's uncertain what billing records will be released, but the process will be watched closely by this newspaper and challenged if necessary.

In February, in a separate incident in Olympia, state Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, walked out of a special committee hearing in protest after Democrats moved on substitute bills and held a public hearing without adequate notice to the public or fellow lawmakers.

In response, Attorney General Rob McKenna and State Auditor Brian Sonntag called for transparency reform, and several senators introduced Senate Bill 5419 to provide minimal public notification requirements before public hearings or votes on budget and tax bills. So far, the Senate leadership has not allowed a floor vote on this measure.

In January, lawmakers of both houses introduced bills that would have allowed cities and counties to place their government legal notices on their websites instead of publishing them in designated legal newspapers. Fortunately, those measures died in committee.

A democratic system of government requires an informed citizenry to function properly, and no information is more crucial than knowing what your government is doing. This week, Sunshine Week, celebrates open government and all citizens, within and outside of government, who work to maintain transparency among our public officials.

* For more information on Sunshine Week, go to www.sunshineweek.org.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Sharon J. Prill, Bob Crider, Frank Purdy and Karen Troianello.