Public records are theoretically available to the public. But, local and state governments often deny access by charging large sums of money.
Child goes missing. Then school administrator gets fired. Intrepid journalist files public records request for emails about it. But the story never gets reported because when Alexandria Times editor Caitlyn Meisner got the bill for the public records request, it was $4,800.
"My eyes nearly popped out of my head. I had never seen anything like that," Meisner says. "I had seen a couple of hundred dollars before, and that's difficult for a local paper to pay for. But this was just astronomical. I had no words.”
She never got her hands on those emails because the newspaper could not fork over that much money. And that was the point, says state Senator Danica Roem, a former journalist who now represents Prince William County.
"I do know for a fact that there are those in local and state government who use FOIA fees as a deterrent to the requester so that they will not end up fulfilling the request," Roem says. "The custodians of records do this. I know this because they told me."
She says that’s what they told her the first time she introduced a bill trying to set some kind of limits on what state and local governments can charge. So, she compromised again and again. Now, she’s introduced yet another compromise – the sixth version of the bill. She's hoping this one will finally get to the governor's desk.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
