MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Senate on Thursday advanced legislation aimed at strengthening the state’s weak open records law by setting deadlines to respond to requests to view public documents.
Senators voted 29-0 for the legislation. The bill now moves to the House.
“Right now, under current law, it’s the wild west. We don’t have timelines for governments or universities to respond in due time,” Republican Sen. Arthur Orr, the bill’s sponsor, said.
Alabama’s public records law says any citizen has the right to inspect and take copies of public writings, except for those exempted by law. However, it does not provide deadlines for responses.
The legislation would require a public records officer to acknowledge the receipt of a simple request within 10 days and then “provide a substantive response” to the request within 15 additional business days. Public entities would be given more time to respond to requests that would require more than eight hours of work to fulfill.
Palestinian American poet Fady Joudah receives $100,000 prize
Putin announces plans to run for president in 2024
Indian gov't orders probe in parliament security breach incident
Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard enters NBA draft
3 people found shot to death in central Indiana apartment complex
Record Qingming holiday box office heats up for May Day moviegoing frenzy
Sri Lanka witnesses rise in dengue cases with over 10,000 reported in December
Man granted parole for his role in the 2001 stabbing deaths of 2 Dartmouth College professors
Hunter Biden indicted on multiple counts related to firearms, tax evasion
Caitlin Clark fans won't receive Indiana Fever jerseys until August due to Nike blunder
Royal gardener reveals top tips to get rid of slugs and snails