Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday ordered state agencies to follow new procedures for responding to public record requests, changes intended to provide structure in a state with one of the weakest open records laws in the country.
Ivey signed an order instructing executive-branch agencies to: establish a portal for requests; respond within 15 days for a simple request or 45 days for a more complicated request; and limit fees to $20 per hour for preparation time and 50 cents per page for paper copies.
However, the order only applies to executive-branch agencies and does not address an appeal process or the exemptions that have been used to deny requests.
Alabama’s public records law says any citizen has the right to inspect and take copies of public writings, except for those exempted by law.
It does not provide deadlines for responses or an enforcement mechanism beyond filing a lawsuit.
