Post by Logan on Feb 17, 2016 2:15:40 GMT -6
To his detractors, St. Augustine resident Jeff Gray is engaged in “economic terrorism” by filing a slew of public records lawsuits that his critics contend are more about making money than getting public records.
To Gray, he is on a civil rights crusade to get public agencies and private companies that have state contracts to shape up and comply with the Government in the Sunshine Law.
Gray is among a handful of residents across Florida who file public records requests and then routinely follow up with lawsuits. They say their mission is to get compliance so it will be easier for others to get public records.
But the spate of lawsuits has gotten pushback in the courts and the state Legislature, where bills would change how the state’s Sunshine Law awards attorney fees to residents who bring public records lawsuits.
Read more: jacksonville.com/news/metro/2016-02-16/story/st-augustine-activist-says-state-should-provide-records-not-change-laws
The simple solution is to require the person making the open records request to pay the estimated cost for the agency to compile the information. If the person is truly interested in receiving the data then they should be willing to pay the cost to obtain those records; otherwise, the records request should be withdrawn. When the records are provided then a final bill should be calculated and either refunds or additional payments can be made.
To Gray, he is on a civil rights crusade to get public agencies and private companies that have state contracts to shape up and comply with the Government in the Sunshine Law.
Gray is among a handful of residents across Florida who file public records requests and then routinely follow up with lawsuits. They say their mission is to get compliance so it will be easier for others to get public records.
But the spate of lawsuits has gotten pushback in the courts and the state Legislature, where bills would change how the state’s Sunshine Law awards attorney fees to residents who bring public records lawsuits.
Read more: jacksonville.com/news/metro/2016-02-16/story/st-augustine-activist-says-state-should-provide-records-not-change-laws
The simple solution is to require the person making the open records request to pay the estimated cost for the agency to compile the information. If the person is truly interested in receiving the data then they should be willing to pay the cost to obtain those records; otherwise, the records request should be withdrawn. When the records are provided then a final bill should be calculated and either refunds or additional payments can be made.