More than three decades after Washington voters enacted the Public Disclosure Act, stories abound of elected and public officials skirting the law.

Tonight in Seattle, state Attorney General Rob McKenna will hold the last of 12 public-advice sessions on how his department should craft new guidelines for public agencies to comply with the law. A new state law prohibiting public agencies from denying records requests because they are too broad also required McKenna to write new rules. The new rules ought to clarify for officials that they work for their constituents and make it harder to deny disclosure requests. Another important consideration is to ensure ways for citizens without wealth or the resources of a news organization to challenge denial of records.

A few recent examples are instructive:

• A Kitsap County employee gave away the only copy of his work to a company interested in building a NASCAR track. He and a dozen other county officials questionably signed confidentiality agreements with the company and the document — a public record — was not available to a citizen who requested it.

• The city of Tacoma had attempted to keep secret details of its investigation into the former police chief who murdered his wife and shot himself. Recently, a judge upheld the new city manager's decision to release the records, which was challenged by the police union.

• It took Seattle hotelier Armen Yousoufian four years to get the public documents he requested in 1997 about King County's anticipated economic benefit from the Seahawks Stadium. He won in court in 2001 but appealed the inadequate fine levied against the county. Recently, he was awarded $300,000, which barely covers his costs. The average citizen without his personal resources couldn't have pursued the documents.

These appalling examples are disappointing 33 years after the law was enacted by the people. Now's the chance for people to influence how the new rules will be drafted.

Co-sponsored by The Seattle Times, the 7 p.m. meeting will be at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Room 4C-2. Attend or submit written testimony at www.atg.wa.gov/