SENATE RESOLUTION

                           1991-8681

By Senators Moore and Johnson

     WHEREAS, The foundation of a free society is a well informed electorate; and

     WHEREAS, The maintenance of a free society and creative culture depends upon the public's access to a full spectrum of ideas and opinions; and

     WHEREAS, Publicly funded libraries have an historical and professional responsibility to select, acquire, maintain, and make available information in a variety of formats expressing a full spectrum of opinions; and

     WHEREAS, Washington State law provides for full access to information concerning the conduct of government at every level as a fundamental and necessary precondition to the sound governance of a free society; and

     WHEREAS, Citizens of a free society have a responsibility to become informed, weigh various sides of an issue, and act responsibly based on their informed decisions;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate reaffirm the right of the people of this state to freely investigate the diversity of human thought through their publicly funded libraries; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate reaffirms the right of the people of this state to know what their government is doing through access to any public document not specifically exempted, in accordance with state law; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate challenge publicly funded libraries to develop collections of information that fairly represent all sides of issues, and to endeavor to remove all barriers to the public's access to that information; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That all state agencies, state officers, and state employees be reminded of their duty to provide full, prompt, and unquestioned access to public records to any person so requesting; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the government of the state of Washington endeavor to protect the privacy of persons who investigate and use information; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the people of this state be reminded of their rights and responsibilities to become informed and make responsible decisions related to their personal lives and the conduct of their government; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the people of this state be urged to be vigilant against attempts to limit their access to ideas and public information, lest they lose those rights of access for lack of diligence; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of the resolution to the Office of the Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the Commissioner of Public Lands, the State Treasurer, the State Auditor, the State Librarian, and the Commissioner of the Courts.