Transparency
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Give me Liberty
Rodger Williamson
Patrick Henry (1736-1799), “The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.”
On Wednesday, May 8, Gov. Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 270, a bill to set specific timelines that public entities in Alabama must follow when responding to public records requests.
Senate Bill 270, sponsored by Alabama Sen. Arthur Orr and Alabama Rep. Cynthia Almond, requires public entities to acknowledge a records request within 10 days of getting the request. It also requires a response from the public entity fulfilling or denying a request within 15 days of acknowledging that request.
Public records request responses can require a fee paid by the requestor, but those fees must be reasonable. More detailed or substantive records requests have a longer turnaround time frame.
Senate Bill 270 is the most significant amendment to Alabama’s public records law in more than 50 years.
Last year, upon beginning her second term as governor, Ivey issued Executive Order 734, “Promoting Transparency in State Government Through Enhanced Accessibility to Public Records,” to deliver on her commitment to strengthen public confidence in state government. This bill largely codifies the governor’s executive order and comes as a direct result of the governor’s lead. Before EO 734, Alabama did not require a timeline for replies to a public records request.
By signing SB270 into law, Ivey marked another step forward in improving transparency and accessibility in government – her 2023 inaugural commitment to ensure state government works with greater efficiency for all Alabamians.
“Today, we build on the foundation laid by Executive Order 734 to ensure the principle of transparency endures beyond the Ivey Administration. Transparency isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a commitment to letting the sunlight in and ensuring our citizens can hold their government accountable,” said Ivey.
“Like EO 734, this law protects government against overly burdensome requests while meaningfully improving fairness, access and the people’s right to timely insight into how their government works.”
After signing SB270, the Alabama Press Association and Alabama Broadcasters Association expressed their praise for Ivey’s actions in fostering an open and transparent government.
“The Alabama Press Association would like to thank Gov. Ivey and her staff for working with us over the past several months on SB270, a bill that creates timelines in our Open Records Act,” said Felicia Mason, Alabama Press Association executive director. “Any citizen has the right to receive an acknowledgment and a timely response when making a request for a public record. The governor’s office played an integral role in getting a good compromise between interested parties. We appreciate Gov. Ivey’s continued dedication to transparency in government.”
“The Alabama Broadcasters Association (ABA) is very appreciative of the time and effort Gov. Ivey and her staff committed to working on SB270 with stakeholders over many months in an effort to create timelines in the state’s Open Records Act,” said Alabama Broadcasters Association President Sharon Tinsley. “In 2023, the ABA recognized Gov. Ivey with an award for her executive order addressing public records. Now, with her signature, the governor is assuring Alabamians the right to a timely response when making a request. We applaud her continued efforts to see improvements in our open records law in Alabama.”