The fate of a bill to strengthen the state’s open records law remains up in the air. The bill, vetoed in 2008 by the Governor, was amended in numerous ways this year to address concerns raised by police chiefs and the Attorney General. The Affiliate, along with other open government groups, has been pushing for re-passage of a strong version of the bill. Among other things, the bill shortens the timeframe for public bodies to respond to open records requests and requires training of public information officers on their APRA obligations. An ACLU report issued in the fall of 2007, documenting widespread non-compliance with the statute, served as the impetus for this much-needed legislation.
Unfortunately, on the House floor, two important provisions in the bill were voted down, prompting the ACLU and other groups promoting the legislation to withdraw support for it. Efforts are underway to try to reinstate those provisions through another vote before the session ends.
