Yakima Herald-Republic: We Will Look for Pro-Taping Bill Candidates

This Yakima Herald-Republic editorial says what needs to be said: When a popular common-sense proposal like the taping bill is defeated, there will be political consequences. Voters are entitled to know if a candidate supports taping meetings or instead buys the local government lobby's doomsday scenarios. Here is a bit of the editorial (emphasis added):

"Open government advocates around the state have been defeated in this session of the Legislature. So we will be looking for legislative candidates with enough backbone to demand passage next year of an important open government bill: legislation requiring audio recording of local government meetings closed to the public. ...

"Local government lobbyists, using a series of lame, irrelevant arguments in aggressively working to defeat House Bill 3292, won the battle when the measure failed to pass the state House by a Tuesday deadline. So we're going to be among those pushing to keep them from winning the war by working hard for passage of this common-sense legislation by the 2009 Legislature.

"Those to whom openness in government is more than a campaign slogan will be interested in learning from local government and legislative candidates this year just where they stand on this issue (and others) concerning the public's right to know. Count us in as part of that statewide effort."