Keep the Sunshine Committee in business

THE state Legislature picked a curious time to try and eliminate the Public Records Exemptions Accountability Committee.

That's a long name for a panel with a focused, purposeful mission: maintain and protect citizen access to public information. Better known as the Sunshine Committee, the panel was created to ensure voter-approved access to public documents at all levels of government was respected and protected.

A variety of self-serving exemptions had started to creep into law. The panel was organized in 2007. The product of its careful work and review was submitted in 2008, and ignored by the Legislature in 2009.

Twice there have been efforts to eliminate the committee. This session, Gov. Chris Gregoire put it on the chopping block to save money. Dozens of boards and commissions were put on a hit list. The money argument for the Sunshine Committee is hardly compelling. Total cost since its inception barely tops $30,000.

As one hand of the Legislature is trying to kill the committee, the other might belatedly pass its recommendations. Turns out, of the exemptions reviewed, most were kept. They had a defensible purpose.

Of course, there is that prickly suggestion the Legislature lose its exemption. The committee basically said lift the cloak of secrecy and let the sunshine in:

"Every other legislative body in the state of Washington is fully subject to the public records act. There is no principled reason why the state Legislature should be exempt."

The state panel responsible for protecting citizen access to government wants the Legislature to follow the rules. The Legislature is trying to kill off the committee. Imagine.

Save the Sunshine Committee. The Legislature should not be fueling the cynicism of an angry, restive public.