Sara Jones

The meeting covered routine items, including the unanimous approval of the June 5, 2024 minutes and the adoption of the current agenda. The main agenda focused on updates to agency records retention schedules. Key updates included the approval of the Department of Ecology records retention schedule version 1.6, the Department of Transportation records retention schedule version 1.23, the Liquor and Cannabis Board records retention schedule version 1.0, and the University of Washington Medicine records retention schedule version 2.1. The State Archivist reported on preparation for legislative session decision packages, including requests for funding backfills due to low document recording fees and capital requests for HVAC system replacements, in addition to work on digitizing material for America 250. Furthermore, a committee member informed the group about a recent lawsuit filed in late May concerning records preservation in Teams chat, which names the State Records Committee in the complaint regarding record destruction.

The meeting began with introductions of committee staff members. Key discussions included the unanimous approval of the December 7, 2022, minutes. The agenda adoption proceeded after the withdrawal of the University of Washington Medicine draft schedule, which will be resubmitted in April. Announcements from the State Archivist covered progress on the new library archives building design, ongoing partnership issues regarding the gopher matter, and current staff vacancies needing to be filled. The State Records Manager also detailed ongoing staffing needs, highlighting three open positions. Under new business, the committee approved the Central Washington University records retention schedule version 1.7, noting minor wording corrections. Subsequently, the Department of Social and Health Services records retention schedule version 2.1 was approved, incorporating a last-minute minor wording change related to a program name clarification.

The discussion centered on the impact of the Administration's tariffs, characterized as reckless, on American consumers and businesses. A key point of contention was whether tariffs raise prices, with one party asserting they do and the trade representative arguing they have a limited impact, except for specific imported goods like bananas and coffee. The conversation detailed how trade wars negatively affected a specific Washington state candy company, Brown and Haley, causing a significant drop in their export business to China, forcing them to license their brand to Chinese manufacturers. Furthermore, the discussion addressed the negative economic consequences concerning Canada, Washington State's second-largest export partner, noting a substantial decrease in passenger vehicle border crossings and tourist visitors, leading to job losses and business struggles in the state. The representative mentioned using tariffs as leverage for trade deals, citing the quick negotiation of tariffs on coffee and bananas after securing agreements with exporting countries.

The meeting commenced with introductions and the approval of previous minutes from August 3rd and October 5th, 2022. Key discussions involved announcements from the State Archivist regarding ongoing work on a new building move, addressing pocket gopher issues, and future space planning. Staff changes were noted, specifically the departure of a senior records consultant and the resulting impact on capacity for reviewing retention schedules. The committee also reviewed and approved updates to several records retention schedules across multiple agencies: Community and Technical Colleges (version 2.1), Department of Labor and Industries (version 1.11), Department of Social and Health Services (version 2.6), Department of Transportation (version 1.19), Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (FSAC, version 1.0), Udub Medicine (version 1.10), and University of Washington (version 2.22). A specific discussion arose regarding the retention period for University of Washington's Religious Accommodation Forms.

The document details the ceremonies surrounding the inauguration of Daniel J. Evans as the new Governor of the State of Washington, succeeding Albert D. Rosaliní. It describes the joint session of the State Senate and House of Representatives convening, the escorting of dignitaries including Supreme Court Justices, and the oath of office administered to Governor-elect Evans and Lieutenant Governor John Sherberg by Chief Justice Rosaliní. The proceedings also included an opening prayer and remarks from outgoing Governor Rosaliní regarding his administration's efforts toward a 'great society,' and an initial address by Governor Evans outlining his commitment to enacting beneficial legislation guided by the Constitution, while avoiding blind adherence to precedent.