electronic records – Page 2 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Wa.: A matter of records: Governments look to change ways public gets information

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Last year Yakima County responded to 2,453 requests for public documents. Many of those had multiple parts, each requiring research of thousands of documents.

For example, one recent request in the county’s planning department contained 10 boxes of documents.

Answering requests isn’t always simple. Documents must be reviewed to redact confidential information, a process that could take weeks or months depending on the size and scope of the request, said the county’s public records officer, Stormy Miller.

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Wa.: Lawmakers seek to discourage serial public records requesters

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A bipartisan pair of state lawmakers working on public disclosure legislation say they are trying to strike a balance between keeping the public informed and managing the costs of responding to records requests.

Rep. Terry Nealey, R-Dayton, and Rep. Joan McBride, D-Kirkland, are working on proposals to help government officials recoup more of their expenses while also discouraging massive requests that can cripple a city’s or county’s ability to respond.

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Wyoming court: OK to charge for viewing electronic records

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The Wyoming Supreme Court has ruled against the Wyoming Tribune Eagle in a public records dispute with Laramie County School District 1.

In a 3-2 decision issued Wednesday, the state’s highest court ruled that government agencies are allowed to charge people to look at electronic public records. The fee should be a reasonable charge for the cost of producing a copy of the record, the majority of the justices said.

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New Hampshire Supreme Court: Public has right to electronic government information

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The public has a right to government records in electronic format when seeking information under New Hampshire's Right-to-Know law, the state Supreme Court unanimously ruled Tuesday.

The case stems from an appeal by Donna Green of Sandown, who has represented that town on the Timberlane Regional School Board since 2014, and had to sue the school district to gain access to salary information in electronic format.

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Editorial: Wisconsin Public Records Board must reverse its August decision

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The state Public Records Board is expected Monday to revisit a change it made in August on which state records need to be archived as open records. The board needs to reverse that change and ensure that all records relevant to the public's business — including texts, Facebook messages and other electronic communications — are archived and available to the public.

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County attorney in Florida advises officials on deleting records

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Hillsborough County Attorney Chip Fletcher has told county commissioners they don’t need to retain many of their work-related emails and text messages, even though he acknowledges many of the communications may be considered public records under the state’s Sunshine Laws.

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Idaho law enforcement agencies wrestle with data collection

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Law enforcement leaders across Idaho are considering whether to seek new laws detailing how they collect and retain video footage and who gets access to the images.

The use of body cameras, dash cameras and jail security cameras means police and sheriff departments nationwide are gathering more data than ever and receiving more public records requests for the images. Idaho law requires that the videos be stored for two years, but that amount of digital storage can get expensive for the agencies.

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Arkansas AG: Electronic files considered ‘in storage’ under FOI law

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In an advisory opinion last week, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge addressed a question about the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act that the attorney general’s office had never been asked before, and her answer has drawn some criticism.

The question, posed by state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, R-Benton, concerned what constitutes “storage” when it comes to digital files on a computer or cell phone.

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Colorado Senator Kefalas to look at public records access

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State Sen. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, is looking at expanding Colorado open records law to include electronic records.

Kefalas said the legislative fix could be simple, provided the political will is there. The nascent proposal, as Kefalas described it at a Saturday coffee-with-constituents meeting, would make explicit that public records available in digital form must be delivered that way. No bill has been formally drafted yet. Continue…

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Senate committee hears testimony on Texas Open Records Law

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From The Texas Tribune:

Whether Texas' open records law should address “frivolous and overly burdensome” public information requests was among the topics discussed Monday at a state Senate panel hearing.

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