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Comment by WalterBright | Hacker News Reader

In a related issue, it is illegal in Washington State for lawmakers to have private negotiations about bills. It's the "open meetings" law. I.e. you cannot discuss a bill with other lawmakers over coffee, over the phone, via email, etc. This law is very well intentioned.

But it seems to have the opposite effect. Legislation can only be discussed in public hearings, and so they just turn into the lawmakers reading prepared grandstanding statements playing to the cameras.

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Are you sure about that? It looks like the law explicitly excludes the legislature. RCW 42.30.030 says it applies to "meetings of the governing body of a public agency".

"Public agency" is defined in RCW 42.30.020, which says:

> As used in this chapter unless the context indicates otherwise:

> (1) "Public agency" means:

> (a) Any state board, commission, committee, department, educational institution, or other state agency which is created by or pursuant to statute, other than courts and the legislature;

> (b) Any county, city, school district, special purpose district, or other municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state of Washington;

> (c) Any subagency of a public agency which is created by or pursuant to statute, ordinance, or other legislative act, including but not limited to planning commissions, library or park boards, commissions, and agencies;

> (d) Any policy group whose membership includes representatives of publicly owned utilities formed by or pursuant to the laws of this state when meeting together as or on behalf of participants who have contracted for the output of generating plants being planned or built by an operating agency.

See https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.30

I sometimes wonder if a rationale for the idea from The Republic of the guardians all sharing a common mess was an attempt to avoid politics via private dining.

Bonus clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOPsAcy5FYk

Wit 'fakeshang' mi showxa mebi walowda o mebi walowda walowda mang, demang xalte wit sif fo du ruchirowna. -- Da Dzhimi, Federalish 10 (1787)

It could be a necessary evil. We already have corruption with stealth kickbacks and special interests siphoning budget from America. How much worse would it be if it was all behind the scenes?

It already is behind the scenes. Do you really think people only discuss about it in public hearings.

The Seattle City Council did do it behind the scenes. Then they got slapped with a lawsuit over that.

If a man turns into a clown in front of a camera, he would too be a clown in any other way.

It greatly unsightly for a country to have people like these for the apex court justices.

Publicity is a resource that careful politicians spend wisely, according to their needs at the time. These publicized official events give them a platform to grandstand or rebuke the opposition, some of them are bound to use it that way. Meeting one on one doesn't have that possibility of publicity, unless you're really dedicated to playing the clown 24/7.

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