TVW founders and Washington auditor worthy recipients of open-government awards

THOUGH Washington citizens' access to government has taken some hits in recent years, three people will be honored today for helping to make government more transparent.

Policy wonks, students of government and insomniacs should be grateful to Stan Marshburn and Denny Heck for their audacious idea — and strong fight — to bring CSPAN-style coverage to state government. Since 1995, their brainchild, TVW, has brought video or audio of legislative and state Supreme Court hearings to the far reaches of the state. The channel, which also covers debates and all manner of public-policy-oriented meetings, is available to 55 percent of state residents via cable television but to everyone through a handy Web site with searchable archives.

Marshburn and Heck's mission to bring government into living rooms makes them very worthy of the James Madison Award, conferred by the Washington Coalition of Open Government in honor of the fourth U.S. president considered the "Father of the Constitution."

State Auditor Brian Sonntag is also being honored today with WashCOG's James Andersen Award, named for the former state Supreme Court justice and founding member.

Democrat Sonntag is a tireless open-government advocate helping agencies to comply with the laws and often partnering with Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna on open-government initiatives. He also has been known to coach reporters, who suspect an agency is violating open-government laws, to send accounts to the auditor's office to be considered when the agency comes up for its annual audit.

Marshburn and Heck, who brought government into people's living rooms, and Sonntag, who strives to keep the windows of government open, embody the principles of open government.

Congratulations to all of them.