Stiffer punishment for open meetings violators needed

Any law becomes ineffective when punishment for violating that law fails to act as a deterrent.

Or, to use the more colorful phrase, a law’s “got to have teeth.”

Two weeks ago the Washington Senate decided to do something it hasn’t done in 45 years by unanimously approving “putting teeth” into this state’s Open Public Meetings Act. At the request of state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, those teeth took the form of increased penalties for knowingly violating the law, upping individual fines from $100 to $500.

Senate Bill 6171 also installs a $1,000 fine each additional time officials knowingly...