Our State Legislators Are SO Sorry for Voting for That Legislative Secrecy Bill

Governor Jay Inslee vetoed the legislative secrecy bill that was rushed through both houses of the state legislature within 48 hours Office of the Governor

The 40 state representatives who wrote this letter to Governor Inslee yesterday are, like, soooo sorry! They meant to hold a transparent public process on the bill exempting themselves from the Public Records Act, but things got SO stressful in the legislature. Also, they thought they really liked "the important transparency reforms that [the bill] would enact." They apparently just didn't consider, you know, the rest of the bill, which would block public access from a ton of records generated before July 1, as well as all e-mail exchanges between lawmakers.

Who actually reads legislation anyway, haha. Jobs are hard!

But seriously. These legislators know they really messed up and they are TOTALLY convening a task force so nothing like this EVER happens again. Ever ever. Promise. They are committed. "We look forward to working with you to uphold Washington's strong traditions of transparency and open government," they write.

Representatives Nicole Macri and Noel Frame additionally sent apologies to constituents. "I’ve heard from constituents in the 43rd District loud and clear. I got it wrong on Senate Bill 6617, the Legislative Public Records Act, and I am sorry," Macri writes.

Frame:

Rep. Noel Frame's statement on voting for that bill exempting lawmakers from the Public Records Act, then asking Inslee to veto it: "I am sorry...Now, we can start fresh" pic.twitter.com/NejA2kYLzv

— Hayat Norimine (@HayatNorimine) March 2, 2018

Sorreeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!