Appleton pulls HB 1012 due to "threats from gun owners"

[Bill Starks]

In today's world I can find out where someone lives in a matter of a few seconds.

Took me 8 minutes.....

 

[gogodawgs]

Took me 8 minutes.....

took me about 12 seconds to find Appleton and a few more for her assistant...

 

[EMNofSeattle]

took me about 12 seconds to find Appleton and a few more for her assistant...

let me guess, you used the voter rolls on Sound Politics?

 

[gogodawgs]

let me guess, you used the voter rolls on Sound Politics?

Yep and can find you in a few seconds as well...

 

[EMNofSeattle]

Yep and can find you in a few seconds as well...

Sure Nick, you can come right on over. I'm not even being sarcastic. you can come and visit me. doesn't bother me that you know my address.

now finding you may be slightly harder, your name sounds like one of those really common ones, there's not that many people with my last name floating around but still.

 

[sudden valley gunner]

part of my email to Appleton

I just read that you are pulling HB1012 due to threats. Who is actually running that office, you or your assistant? I ask this because I read the following..."Bezon declined to provide copies of emails or transcripts of voice messages to The Associated Press, saying she wanted to spare Appleton, who has not seen the worst of them, the details contained therein. But she said the most concerning included information about where Appleton lived." So if your assistant has kept these emails from you, how many other email and letters is she not letting you see?

Well done.

Dear Mr. Starks:

Your request (below) was forwarded to this office for reply. You have requested records that Representative Appleton’s office might have received in the nature of threats regarding HB 1012. The House cannot provide any records meeting your request for a couple of reasons.

First, your request encompasses information that does not fall within the definition of public records as applied to the House and Senate. RCW 42.56.010(2) states in relevant part:

"Public record" includes any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics. For the office of the secretary of the senate and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives, public records means legislative records as defined in RCW 40.14.100 and also means the following: All budget and financial records; personnel leave, travel, and payroll records; records of legislative sessions; reports submitted to the legislature; and any other record designated a public record by any official action of the senate or the house of representatives.

RCW 40.14.100 provides that:

"legislative records" shall be defined as correspondence, amendments, reports, and minutes of meetings made by or submitted to legislative committees or subcommittees and transcripts or other records of hearings or supplementary written testimony or data thereof filed with committees or subcommittees in connection with the exercise of legislative or investigatory functions but does not include the records of an official act of the legislature kept by the secretary of state, bills and their copies, published materials, digests, or multi-copied matter which are routinely retained and otherwise available at the state library or in a public repository, or reports or correspondence made or received by or in any way under the personal control of the individual members of the legislature.

Consequently, to the degree that Representative Appleton received any personal correspondence on this bill, that information would not fall within the scope of the Public Records Act.

Furthermore, the House permits members who are sole sponsors of a bill to withdraw pre-filed bill(s) from further consideration prior to introduction without needing to provide a reason. This happens very rarely, but does occur occasionally. So, to the degree that the Representative felt threatened or intimidated by any form of communication, those materials would not have to be provided to the House.

Thank you for your patience while we sorted this out. Let me know if you have any other questions.


Timothy Sekerak
House Counsel
Washington State House of Representatives
360-786-7767

We are not asking for "legislative records". Sneaky sneaky.

 

[SGTGTO]

What about a FOIA request to the WSP in regards to the investigation of said threats?

 

[sudden valley gunner]

It seems some folks in our legislature are going against house rules.

This bill number has now changed to deal with bond requirements for Appraisal management companies.

Who will hold them accountable?

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1012

Increasing the penal sum of a surety bond required to be maintained by an appraisal management company.

I am trying to find the rules to see if this is an actual infraction or not. Either way it looks like something is trying to get buried.

 

[sudden valley gunner]

House rule #9

http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Pages/HouseRules.aspx#anchor9

 

[MSG Laigaie]

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/01/28/2855381/boo-violent-threats.html

An article in the B'ham herald, it does not even name the writer. This needs to be addressed by as many of us as possible. Leave a comment, then send her an email. She is disparaging us Nationwide. This has been in papers from DC to Florida to bloody bellingham.

 

[Bill Starks]

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/01/28/2855381/boo-violent-threats.html

An article in the B'ham herald, it does not even name the writer. This needs to be addressed by as many of us as possible. Leave a comment, then send her an email. She is disparaging us Nationwide. This has been in papers from DC to Florida to bloody bellingham.

1. no by-line for the author
2. requires you to post some sort of a name to make a comment
3. requires a moderator to allow your post
4. wait & wait for it to appear

 

[BigDave]

John's post is showing and so is mine! (just posted) they were not complementary for the poster nor the representative.