Washington state guidelines determine that records revealing municipal activities such as court papers, arrest records, marriage licenses, vehicular violations and more are open and accessible to the general public, largely because of the Washington's 1973 Public Records Act. All essential information on the various happenings of authorities, municipal courts, and local government are within these records, and generally are believed public unless legally redacted. This legislation, which had been generally based on the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, are in place to guarantee U.S. Citizens and people of Taholah have the ability to understand their protection under the law, and hold regulators and criminals culpable regarding their actions, promoting a free and open culture for everyone.