Gov. Snoonoo signed just 52 Bills into law, and I’m not familiar with all of them, but some look unpleasant. One, HB1002, is well known to us and our audience. It permits towns to charge fees if a records request takes too much time—the Public Records Tax.
There are carveouts for the impoverished or indigent, and “Media requestors are organizations or individuals who publish information in accepted digital, print, or broadcast formats and to standards generally recognized by professional news organizations that do not serve primarily as a platform to promote the interest and/or opinions of a special interest group, government, individual or cause.”
The latter is a sop to the establishment press. Does anyone have any guesses as to who decides the “standards generally recognized by professional news organizations?” Here is a hint. It is the same lot that will decide is the platform serves “primarily” to “promote the interest and or opinion of a special interest group, government, individual, or cause.”
Two more quick points. First, watch for upcoming legislation that makes accountability and transparency even more difficult. Second, you can change your local town or city leadership by supporting candidates for office who will not charge for public records requests.
Enforcement is optional. That means voters must find candidates who will protect their right to know and get them elected.
In the meantime, perhaps you should get those records requests submitted before the first full week of August. After that, befriend a poor person who can submit them for you. And by all means, pay them; it will likely be cheaper than what, say – Nashua will charge.