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State AGO attorney gives annual refresher on public‑records and open‑meetings law
Summary
Matt Kernitz, senior counsel in the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, briefed the Citizen Commission on the Public Records Act and the Open Public Meetings Act, emphasizing broad PRA record definitions, retention schedules, 5‑day response obligations, searches of personal devices used for agency business, and penalties for noncompliance.
Matt Kernitz, senior counsel with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, provided the Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences with its annual open‑government refresher during the commission’s May 6, 2026 meeting. Kernitz stressed that Washington’s Public Records Act (PRA) is broadly construed and requires disclosure of public records unless a narrowly applied exemption applies.
Kernitz told commissioners that under RCW 42.56 a “record” includes any writing or recording related to government conduct — from typewritten documents to sound…
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