The names, addresses and signatures of those who sign initiatives and referendum petitions would be public information under legislation introduced Dec. 7 by 36th District Rep. Reuven Carlyle.
“Initiatives and referendum are part of the soul of our state’s history from the progressive era of the 1880s, and this bill is an effort to make it clear that the public deserves full, open and transparent access to petitions,” Carlyle said. “Signing a petition is your fundamental constitutional right, and with that right comes a public responsibility to ensure our state provides open access to that information.”
Carlyle believes legislation will clarify the state’s intent that public access to this information improves the initiative and referendum process.
“It’s the public’s right to solicit signatures, and it’s the public’s right to access signatures,” Carlyle said.
The legislation, House Bill 2418, explicitly states that referendum and initiative forms, and the names and addresses contained on them, are open to the public.
“We’re pleased to support Rep. Carlyle’s legislation to make it clear that initiative and referendum petitions are releasable public records,” said Secretary of State Sam Reed. “It has been our consistent policy during my administration that Washington voters meant what they said in adopting the Public Records Act by a landslide vote in 1972, that our government must conduct our public activities with great transparency and openness.”
Rep. Sam Hunt, chairman of the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee and cosponsor of the legislation, has committed to considering the legislation. The 2010 legislative session is scheduled to begin Jan. 11.
“One of the pillars of Washington government is the voter initiative process, and like other branches of government, it too has checks and balances,” Carlyle said. “Keeping government information in the dark never benefits the public, and I believe this effort is an important step forward.”
For more information contact Rep. Reuven Carlyle at 360.786.7814.
