Yakima Herald-Republic: We'll Be Asking Candidates About Taping Bill

The Yakima Herald-Republic writes this editorial laying out the case for the taping bill and then very clearly informing candidates seeking their endorsement that the taping bill will be a topic of discussion. Local government officials' position on the taping bill will also become a topic:

"[W]e'll be particularly interested in where legislative candidates vying for office this fall stand on openness in government in general and taped executive sessions in particular. ...

"Next time around we would expect strong support from those in our area city and county governments when they're apprised of the fact that taping can actually be in their best interests."

Politicians have grown accustomed to going along with anti-openness special interests in Olympia and then coming home to their their local papers and expecting glowing endorsements. This won't work anymore. The hysterical opposition to the taping bill was so far-fetched that it set off some very reasonable people.