A couple of six packs
Nov 20th, 2007 by JamieB
What does a good open-records law look like?
Six things that need to be in the bill:
1. Public records must be presumed to be open, unless a government agency can demonstrate otherwise.
2. Records on how legislators spend public money must be covered.
3. Exceptions must be specific and spelled out.
4. There should be an Office of Access to provide guidance, settle disputes and make records easy to get.
5. Fees charged to obtain records must be limited.
6. Enforcement and penalties for violating the law must be strengthened.
And six that won’t work.
1. Blanket exemptions for all email - no state in the country has that.
2. Exempting all correspondence between public officials and public agencies, regardless of its content.
3. Creates a blanket exemption for email. PA would be the only state to do so. We must base exemptions on substance and never form. To do otherwise is to invite abuse.
4. Vague catchall words like “burdensome” that allow agencies to deny requests because the don’t want to – or don’t feel like – honoring them.
5. Stringing out the time to respond to requests.
6. Or socking citizens with higher fees to get the records they already own.