Georgia’s new attorney general says he wants to rewrite the state’s sunshine laws to make them stronger and easier to understand.
The legislation, expected to be introduced later this week, is necessary because to many government agencies are not taking the law seriously, AG Sam Olens said.
As it stands now, the maximum fine for a violation of the Open Records Act is $100, and a violation of the Open Meetings Act is $500.
Olens said he wants the maximum penalties for both to be $1,000. Any subsequent violations over the following year by the same agency will cost it $2,500 apiece.
“When it’s a $100 fine, it’s not taken seriously,” Olens said. “It should be, but it’s not.”
Olens said the bill also would require Open Records Act requests to be made in writing, not orally, as allowed under current law. It also would require agencies to immediately prepare and turn over an Open Records Act request if it is expected to cost less than $50, he said. If the request is expected to cost more than $1,000, the agency can require the payment be made before the request is process, Olens said.
“If you’re a small city, you can’t afford to respond to 10 of these requests that cost more than $1,000 and not get the payment,” he said. “This would provide the necessary safeguards for the government and the public.”
Olens said he is aware that some members of the Legislature may try to relax Georgia’s sunshine laws if they are going to be rewritten. “But I assume the press would immediately pay attention to those issues,” he said. When asked if he would do the same, Olens answered, “Absolutely.”
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