Lawmakers say it’s time to overhaul R.I. public records law

This article originally appeared in the Boston Globe on February 8, 2024 and was written by Edward Fitzpatrick.  

John M. Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, noted that under current law, a requester must go to court if they are charged and they believe the fees should be waived because they’re in the public interest.

“Of course, going to Superior Court requires money because you have to hire legal representation, which sort of defeats the whole point of asking for the fee waiver,” Marion said. “So, like the federal Freedom of Information Act, the bill allows the requester to appeal that public interest exemption to the agency that provides the records, and it requires the agency to consider the public interest.”

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