Open Government
WPC's Center for Government Reform's mission is to partner with stakeholders and citizens to work toward a government focused on its core functions while improving its transparency, accountability, performance, and effectiveness for taxpayers.
Press Releases
It’s time — Washington needs to give the public 21st-century access to lawmaking
Legislators should follow Washington Policy Center, other state examples on how to use technology to bring Olympia to citizens
Washington Policy Center warns against transit bailout in transportation package
Think tank calls idea to use hundreds of millions in state funds for transit “unprecedented”
Attorney General and State Auditor Encourage Lawmakers to Adopt Constitutional Legislative Transparency Amendment
Contact: John Barnes
jbarnes [at] washingtonpolicy [dot] org | 206-937-9691
Olympia – Attorney General Rob McKenna and State Auditor Brian Sonntag, two of the state’s strongest advocates for transparent and accountable government, have written a letter to legislators encouraging them to adopt the Washington Policy Center’s (WPC) proposal for a constitutional amendment to improve legislative transparency.
Their letter reads:
New Guide to Initiatives 1100 and 1105 Offers Helpful Comparison of Measures to Privatize Liquor Sales
Contact: John Barnes
jbarnes [at] washingtonpolicy [dot] org
206-937-9691
Seattle – Confused about the differences between Initiatives 1100 and 1105? Washington Policy Center, the state’s premier public policy think tank, has released a Citizens’ Guide to Initiatives 1100 and 1105 to help media and the public understand the two measures and their differences.
Legal Analysis by Former State Supreme Court Justice says I-1098 Income Tax is Unconstitutional
Seattle - A new legal analysis written for Washington Policy Center by respected former state Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge finds that, if passed by voters this November, Initiative 1098 would likely be ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.
Justice Talmadge was a state Supreme Court Justice from 1995-2001 and served as a Democratic member of the State Senate from 1979-1995, where he chaired the Judiciary and Health Care Committees.