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The Washington State Senate passed a bill 41-7, and minutes later the state’s House of Representatives passed the same bill 83-14. Procedures were put into place to restrict opponents from debating the law before voting, which is “wildly different from other bills where members are freely able to stand and speak,” said Rep. Melanie Stambaugh. The bill exempts the legislature from the state’s voter-approved Public Records Act, shielding legislators’ emails and other documents from public view — retroactively. It also has an “emergency clause” to make it go into effect immediately upon the governor’s signature, and a clause making it illegal to challenge the new law. “The process just demonstrated incontrovertibly the utter contempt that legislators have for public participation in the public process,” said Toby Nixon, president of the Washington Coalition of Open Government, noting that the new bill is “an abomination.” The action is the lawmakers’ response to a judge’s ruling that the legislature is in violation of the Public Records Act. Gov. Jay Inslee said he wasn’t sure whether or not he would sign the bill. (RC/Seattle Times) ...How about if he signs one making it illegal to exempt legislators from any law?