To: Washington State Legislative Ethics Board, Counsel, Washington State Legislative Ethics Board
Insist on Public Disclosure and Accountability in the Washington State Legislature
Reform Washington State’s Ethics Law with a reporting system stressing disclosure, transparency, and easy accessibility to information by the public.
Why is this important?
Petition Background
Mid 2013, news reporter Mr. Mike Baker (AP) wrote “Washington ethics law allows public officials to accept free meals on ‘infrequent occasions.’ But the biggest beneficiary of lobbyist expense accounts received meals, drinks or golf on 62 occasions over the first four months of the year.”
After reading about lawmakers’ voracious appetites I filed a formal complaint with the Washington State Legislative Ethics Board. I named the entire Washington State Legislature in my complaint. In response, the Ethics Board scheduled four public hearings to define the term “infrequent occasions”.
Huge victory! The first three public hearings focused discussion on the number of free meals that would be allowed lawmakers a year. At the third hearing on August 19th a preliminary vote limited free meals for lawmakers to twelve a year.
The fourth and possibly final hearing scheduled on Tuesday, October 14th will focus on whether to create a reporting system to account for the twelve free meals. The Ethics Board is currently seeking public input regarding the right of the public to know, through a reporting system, who is buying meals for their representatives. They need to hear people care about this issue.
6-16-14 Seattle Times’ Posted by Thanh Tan on editorial board blog: “To avoid the appearance of being influenced by lobbyists with deep pockets and fine dining tastes, lawmakers absolutely should track and reveal when they accept free meals, and lobbyists should do the same. Those records should be accessible to the public, too. I’m talking about an easily searchable database via the Public Disclosure Commission; something better than the handwritten, scanned PDF files that are currently filed by special interest groups on the PDC’s website.”
I have been working to raise awareness of hunger in our state and our nation. When I read that some of our lawmakers freely accept gifts of food while being less than generous in fully funding emergency feeding programs, it felt like a betrayal. Members of the legislature are paid a per diem of $120 a day to cover their expenses while in session.
This live link takes you to a video of the Ethics Board hearing on 8-19-14 regarding free meals for Washington State lawmakers. http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2014080036
6/1/13 – Seattle Times: “Olympia lobbyists pampering lawmakers with free meals” http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021104631_freemealsxml.html
7/30/13 - Seattle Times Editorial: “Legislative probe should spur more transparency”. http://seattletimes.com/html/editorials/2021497459_editethicsinvestigation29xml.html
8/21/14 – Seattle Times – Danny Westneat - Some legislators have an insatiable hunger for free meals http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024371423_westneat24xml.html