Commentary

DAYTON–According to the San Juan Islander newspaper, Eric Hood has sued in 30 of Washington’s 39 counties: Jefferson, Clallam, Clark, Kitsap, Snohomish, Yakima, Asotin, Lewis, Columbia, Cowlitz, Hoquiam, San Juan, Skagit, Whatcom, Chelan, Stevens, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Grant, Lewis, Klickitat, Thurston, Mason, Franklin, Pacific, Douglas, Okanogan, Whitman, Spokane, and Walla Walla. School Districts Hood has filed Public Records Act requests then sued are Arlington, Naches Valley, Lopez Island, Orcas Island, Clarkston, Tumwater, Winlock, Woodland, Grays Harbor, Cape Flattery, Concrete, Lynden, North Kitsap, Port Angeles, Quillayute Valley, Mount Vernon, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lake Chelan, Wellpinit, Orient, Newport, Moses Lake, Goldendale, Washougal, Pasco, Ocean Beach, Pacific, Evergreen, and Pride Prep Schools. Add Centralia College, Clark College and the Community Colleges of Spokane to the list. Small towns Hood has claimed didn’t respond to his Public Records request include his home town of Langley, plus Morton, Soap Lake, Tenino, Cosmopolis, Marysville, Republic, Pullman, Wapato, Nooksack, Oroville, Spokane, White Salmon, Yacolt, Ilwaco, Mattawa, Toppenish, Mukilteo, Tekoa, Kahlotus, Rock Island, Sprague, Sultan, Prescott, Twisp, and Springdale. He’s concerned about hospital districts’ abilities to respond to his PRA requests: Garfield County Public Hospital District No. 1, Island Hospital, and Grays Harbor Public Hospital District No. 2. Small taxing districts such as Three Rivers Regional Wastewater Authority (Longview), Samish Water District (Bellingham), the Cascade Irrigation District (Ellensburg), and Ferry County Public Utility District No. 1 (Republic). Individual counties Hood has initiated PRA lawsuits in are Jefferson, Adams, Chelan, Clark, Okanogan, Columbia, Kittitas, Skamania, and Klickitat.

The Public Records Act has a problem, a loop hole. People who want public records from any public agency dealing with the public’s money, have every right to file a Public Records Request.

Eric Hood of Langley, Wash., has found a gold mine in filing Public Records Requests, waiting almost a year, then filing suit against the agency which, in most cases, did all it could to comply with what most would agree vaguely worded requests for documents. He alleges they didn’t completely respond to his request for records.

He is suing Columbia County under such a pretense. Thankfully, the County Commissioners and Prosecuting Attorney C. Dale Slack aren’t rolling over. They’re opposing Hood in court.

Other public boards have weighed the cost of opposing the suit versus settling, and have settled. Hood’s price tag seems to be in the neighborhood of $15,000-$20,000. Newspapers reporting on Hood estimate he’s raked in over $820,000 since about 2014.

The Public Records Act had no requirement for standing or relevancy, nor should it. In fact, when it was revisited in the State Legislature, the only restriction placed on it was that incarcerated individuals may not file disingenuous PRA lawsuits.

Should we be concerned if, for instance, we discover that tax money was misappropriated from an agency in our community? You bet!

Putting “relevancy” restrictions on the PRA would certainly be a slippery slope,

While lawmakers and citizens search for an answer, this “defender of transparency” is laughing all the way to the bank.