New Transparency Report Names Washington's 'Winners and Sinners'

A new report from the Washington Coalition for Open Government is shining a spotlight on how quickly state and local agencies respond to public records requests—and the results reveal major differences across Washington. Using seven years of state data, the organization compiled a "Winners and Sinners" list ranking agencies based on the average amount of time it takes them to fulfill public records requests. Some agencies are responding in a matter of hours, while others take months to produce public documents. Among the findings: • Sumner School District ranked as the slowest agency reviewed, averaging 213 days to complete records requests • Evergreen State College averaged nearly 143 days to fulfill requests • North City Water District responded in an average of just 0.2 days • Norcom 911 averaged less than one day despite handling a large volume of requests • Watchdog groups continue raising concerns about transparency and government accountability • Only a small number of Washington lawmakers have signed pledges not to invoke legislative privilege Supporters of public records laws say timely access to government documents is critical for transparency, accountability, and public trust. Critics argue some agencies may be understaffed or struggling with inefficient systems that slow the process. Washington In Focus Daily brings you the latest coverage of Washington state government, transparency issues, public accountability, investigative reporting, and state politics. #WashingtonState #PublicRecords #Transparency #GovernmentAccountability #OpenGovernment #WashingtonPolitics #InvestigativeJournalism #PublicDisclosure #StateGovernment #TheCenterSquare #WashingtonInFocusDaily #Accountability #Politics #Watchdog #OpenRecords