School District Spends $29,453 on Trip to Uganda

The State Auditors Office found the South Kitsap School District spent $29,453 on a trip to Uganda, reports the Kitsap Sun. We bet they came back with some great pictures of giraffes that were very educational. The District won't pay it back, by the way.

While open-government laws like the Public Records Act, Open Public Meetings Act, and access to court records are the most common topic of og-blog, the State Auditor's publication of audit findings is another important open-government measure. The State Auditors Office often shines the light on our government when no one else can.

Now the voters in the South Kitsap School District know where their money went.

The Anatomy of a Public Records Response Gone Bad

This story from the Tacoma News-Tribune describes a judge's findings about how the City of Lakewood either made one mistake after another or intentionally withheld records.

AP Story on Center For Justice's Open Gov't Accountability Project

Here's a story from the Associated Press on the Center For Justice's Open Government Accountability Project. The story ran in the Seattle P-I, Seattle Times, Spokesman-Review, Tacoma News-Tribune and others.

The AP describes the Center as "Washington's newest sheriffs of 'sunshine.'"

Note: Allied Law Group represents the Center on these cases.

Judge Kip Stilz to Retire (Updated)

A point of personal privilege, as they say in the Legislature.

This story from The Olympian describes the retirement of a fabulous human being, Thurston County District Court judge Kip Stilz. He has worked on open-government and especially open courts issues for years. And he is one of those people in a community who everyone genuinely likes and respects.

UPDATED: Here is an editorial from The Olympian on Judge Stilz's retirement.

Yelm Fire District Settles Center For Justice Open Meetings Case

The Nisqually Valley News reports on the Yelm Fire District's settlement of the Open Public Meetings Act enforcement case filed by the Center for Justice. The District paid about $6,000 in attorneys fees and costs to the Center. The District ended the case early to keep the legal fees low and has put measures in place to prevent future violations.

Note: Allied Law Group represented the Center for Justice. This was one of five Open Public Meetings Act cases filed by the Center on March 17, 2008 during Sunshine Week.

! Dem. House Majority Leader Won't Endorse Dem. Att'y Gen. Candidate--Open Gov't Cited

Holy Toledo.

Democratic House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler says she won't "now or ever" endorse Democratic Attorney General candidate John Ladenburg. Why? The reason Kessler describes in this story from The (Aberdeen) Daily World is Ladenburg's opposition to the open-meetings taping bill Kessler worked on with incumbent--Republican--Attorney General Rob McKenna.

"[Kessler] is concerned that Ladenburg has been outspoken about legislation she and McKenna championed this year to force local governments to record their executive sessions. The recordings would only be provided to a judge if questions arise that the government bodies are violating the state’s open public meetings law.

"Kessler said 'out of respect to the Democrats,' she has no plans to endorse McKenna, 'but I can’t see a scenario where I endorse Ladenburg now or ever. Except for defending my bill, I think this race is going to see me silent.'"

This open-government thing is an amazing political issue. When a legislative majority leader doesn't endorse an Attorney General candidate from the same party over something, you should take note of what that something is.

UPDATE: The Tri-City Herald's political reporter blogs about this here. Sound Politics has this.