Check records before voting

I’d like to remind my fellow citizens here in the 10th Legislative District that all three of your elected officials supported SB 6617, which would have exempted them from our state’s public records act. Dave Hayes and Barbara Bailey voted yes, while Norma Smith did not vote due to an excused absence. She later stated that she would have “absolutely voted yes” if she were present for the vote. Thanks to a citizen’s uprising, we prevented this disaster by pressuring a gubernatorial veto, but we now know where our elected officials stand on the issue of open government.

Secondly, it is important to note that Dave Hayes and Norma Smith also voted yes on SB 6091, which excluded Skagit County from the statewide fix to the Hirst water rights decision. Rural landowners still cannot drill residential wells here. Not only does this make their land unusable, but the rest of us pay more in taxes due to property devaluations. I do applaud Barbara Bailey for standing up for us and voting no. Now all leverage is lost and there is nothing on the horizon which will offer substantial help to Skagit County.

A fully transparent government and fair and reasonable property rights are cornerstones of a free society. Do you agree? Do you think your lawmakers agree? Vote accordingly.

Jon Walton