When the Association of Washington Cities last year didn’t like a proposal to allow more housing density amid a statewide affordability crisis, the nonprofit posted a bulletin to mobilize its supporters: “Ask your legislators to oppose this bill until there is meaningful engagement with a broad array of cities.”
“Regardless of what you think of the policy, making these decisions without more meaningful engagement with cities is not good public policy or ‘the Washington way,’” continued the bulletin. The tactic appears to have worked. That legislation, known as the “missing middle” housing bill and another proposal to expand backyard cottages, died amid the Association’s opposition.
But this year, when the Association sponsored a bill that could make it slower or harder for citizens to request and receive taxpayer-funded documents under Washington’s Public Records Act, it didn’t extend “the Washington way” to open-government groups or others who might be impacted.
