Top Dems make a show of pretending they might enforce the public records law
public records
MASS RECORDS LAW STILL BROKEN
Instead of improving enforcement, the Legislature decided to allow municipal agencies to grant themselves up to 25 business days to produce records
BROKEN RECORDS: THE SECRETARY OF SECRECY, PART III
Testimony from state’s agency that oversees the public records law shows how little they care about the public’s access to records
QUINCY LIES: MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS GARISHLY FLOUT MASS PUBLIC RECORDS LAW
They repeated these falsehoods to Kane-McGunigle, us, the Boston Globe, and to Galvin’s office.
INFO WARS: THE PERILS OF REPORTING IN MASS (A MEDIA FARM UPDATE)
Please excuse any sentimental camaraderie, but we do hope that you’ll join the chorus and echo our complaints.
THE THIN BLUE PAYWALL
If my public records request had been an embryo, my paper baby would be a month old by now.
WHERE’S MAURA? AG HEALEY SAYS ENFORCING THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW IS A PRIORITY, BUT DOESN’T DO IT HERSELF
To be fair, it might be awkward for Healey to pursue violations given that her own office has trouble following the public records law.
FOIA-BLES: CRITICAL MASS RECORDS REFORM BILL TAKES TWO STEPS FORWARD AND ONE STEP BACK
If the best parts of the Senate bill survive and the worst provisions in the House bill are scrapped, then the Massachusetts public records law might become a little bit less broken.
THE SECRETARY OF SECRECY: A NEW COLUMN ABOUT PUBLIC RECORDS REFORM IN MASS, AND JUST IN TIME
There are a few possible solutions. One would be giving Galvin’s office more power to enforce the law. Another would be to streamline the process by eliminating Galvin’s role entirely and having the AG’s office handle the process from start to finish.
STATE SECRETS: THERE AREN’T ANY PUBLIC RECORDS—ONLY RECORDS THE COMMONWEALTH HASN’T GOTTEN AROUND TO DECLARING EXEMPT YET
All things considered, the supervisor of records needs to be removed regardless of whether the current push for an update to the public records law passes.