When it comes to government, transparency is the foundation on which trust is built. And the law that protects transparency more than any other is the one that says government records are public records and we the public can access them. It doesn’t matter the reason why. The law and its protections are very much in favor of the public.
But it does result in some time lost for public officials and employees. I can verify this as a former elected official who responded to multiple public records requests. And at question in this legislative session is a bill that would add onus to the individual making the public request — to at least identify themselves. Rob Port writing at Inforum unpacks the issue clearly in the article linked below.
