Legislative leaders say investigation underway after alleged automated sign‑ins at millionaires tax hearings
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Summary
Leaders said a complaint to the chief clerk alleges multiple improper sign‑ins (some appearing in rapid succession) for recent millionaires tax hearings. They pledged an interim review of the sign‑in system while warning against closing off remote testimony that expanded public participation during the pandemic.
Speaker of the House Laura Jenkins said legislators have received a complaint alleging improper sign‑ins at recent millionaires tax hearings and that the legislature will investigate before making changes.
"When the system is misused in the way that it's alleged to have been misused in this situation, it creates a challenge for us and I don't think we're at all at an kind of end point of our investigation," Jenkins said, adding that the chief clerk received a complaint with "pretty clear evidence" including examples of people shown as signed‑in on the wrong side of an issue. Jenkins cited a specific instance in which Senator Victoria Hunt was shown as signed in on a side she had not chosen.
Leaders emphasized a tension between tightening verification and preserving low‑barrier public participation. An unnamed Senate leader said, "there is a real tension between trying to lock that down and make sure that it's exactly the person who said that they were signing in" and the goal of keeping the sign‑in process accessible so "people in the public [can] participate in our process."
Legislative staff and leaders said they will examine technical fixes during the interim. "We have a great tech team. I'm looking forward to what options they have during the interim and hopefully a solution before next session starts," an unnamed staff speaker said.
Leaders repeatedly cautioned that sign‑ins were never designed to serve as votes. Jenkins said sign‑in totals are informational and that the system has brought more Washingtonians into hearings since remote testimony began during the pandemic. She said some sign‑in anomalies may reflect honest mistakes (people signing pro then changing to con) as well as potential automated activity; the investigation will seek to determine whether misuse was manual, purchased, or automated.
The leaders did not announce any immediate rule changes. Instead, they said they will review themes identified by the complaint and consider tweaks intended to reduce the ability of non‑human accounts to sign in while preserving remote testimony.