Item: Washington, Idaho rank far apart on openness/Betsy Z. Russell, SR

More Info: A new national survey ranks Washington fourth in the nation for governmental integrity, openness and accountability – and Idaho 44th. The survey, conducted by the Chicago-based Better Government Association, compared open records laws, open meeting laws, whistleblower laws, campaign finance requirements and conflict-of-interest laws, to create a government “integrity index.” Idaho scored particularly poorly for its open meeting and conflict of interest laws.

Question: Are you surprised that Idaho ranks so far behind Washington in government openness?

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