Halfway through Sunshine Week, two influential Democratic legislators from Portland sat down with journalists to discuss the upcoming state budget.

Sen. Kate Lieber and Rep. Tawna Sanchez, who co-chair the Joint Ways & Means Committee, answered question after question – questions posed by reporters decades younger than me.

That’s as it should be. My colleagues had it covered; no need for me to intrude. Besides, I was participating virtually through a wonky internet connection.

Having come of journalistic age during the post-Watergate era, Peter Wong and I have been the last long-timers covering Oregon’s state government and politics. The first Oregon governor I covered, as editor of the Linfield College student newspaper, was Tom McCall. Fifty years later, I’m still at it. (I’ve enjoyed my interactions with every governor, Republican and Democrat, except Neil Goldschmidt.)

It’s invigorating and inspiring to work alongside newer journalists who cover the Oregon Capitol. Their work is essential to a free nation, as the Founders recognized. Unfortunately, Gallup reports, “Trust in media has dropped precipitously in recent years, particularly among young adults and Republicans.”

That is dangerous to democracy. It reflects Americans’ increasing self-segregation: hanging out only with folks who share their beliefs and heeding only news sources that reinforce those beliefs.

 Ah, but politics is more nuanced than that. Rarely is a piece of legislation wholly good or bad – except in the eyes of partisans.

Consider passage of SB 916A in the Oregon Senate. Requested by the AFL-CIO,  the bill would make striking workers eligible for unemployment benefits. Hundreds of Oregonians had weighed in pro or con.

On Thursday, Senate Democrats first voted down the Republicans’ alternative. On a near party-line 16-12 vote, Democrats then passed the bill, sending it to the House where Democrats also are in control.

Senate Republicans responded with a press release at 12:52 p.m.: “Senate Democrats Reward Political Allies, Voting to Force Small Businesses and Taxpayers to Fund Labor Strikes.”

The Senate Democrats’ press release came at 1:01 p.m.: “Senate Passes Bill to Help Level the Playing Field for Workers.”

Instead of falling prey to such partisanship, the journalist’s job is to accurately, fairly and honestly describe what happened.

Yes, journalists err. We remember and are tormented by our mistakes – the waking up at 3 a.m. and realizing, “O, crap. I misspelled so-and-so’s name” or whatever.

Despite our imperfections, we are the first line of defense against government secrecy, which is why I began today’s column by mentioning Sunshine Week. Journalists, regardless of generation, hew to the quaint notion that the public’s business should be conducted in public.

Sunshine Week was launched 20 years ago “to urge and spread awareness around open government and the needed push for ‘sunlight.’” That observance has waned over time, the mass media’s influence has declined, and public officials have gotten away with arguing that openness impedes their work.

Dozens of bills to alter “the public’s right to know” have been introduced in the Oregon Legislature. One is SB 555. The brief bill blatantly restricts public access to work produced by the Legislative Policy and Research Office. The (Bend) Bulletin’s editorial board urged, “Narrow the bill or kill it.”

Lawmakers seemed to agree, as further action has not been scheduled. On Friday, we’ll get a better idea of which bills might move forward … although no bill or idea is fully dead until the 2025 Legislature adjourns sine die.

Meanwhile, Gov. Tina Kotek’s staff list no longer is available on her official website. Last week I discovered the list was password-protected and thus off-limits to the public. Now it’s “Under Construction.” On Thursday, Kotek’s office told me only, “The webpage is down at this time. A staff list can be provided upon request.”

What’s going on? Why is it “down”? Why must the public make a special request for information that should be public?

Journalists ask questions that need to be asked. I am grateful for journalists, of any generation, who do so. They deserve our appreciation and our attention.