Ms. Harper Public Records

Ms. Harper's visit clarified the Sunshine Law and used thorough examples to illustrate how public records affect the community. Everything from knowing that copies should cost no more than 15 cents, to understanding how to request a specific access statutory citation, is helpful information that most students would not otherwise be aware of. She explained how to know if your rights are being violated and what to do if an agency overcharges you. Ms. Harper taught us that state agencies and local government boards or commission meetings have to be open and accessible to every person in order to ensure public participation.

Agencies must give adequate notice of meetings. Meetings qualify as conversations between two or more officials of any public agency, and any private company, committee, or advisory board that does business with a public agency. Notice of time, location, and content are required in advance. If a person’s behavior is disorderly, he or she cannot be asked to leave a public meeting. Press is therefore allowed cameras and equipment as long as it does not get in the way of proceedings. As with most laws, the Sunshine Law has many exemptions that are created by the legislature.

According to the Sunshine law if meetings purposely do not follow the protocol, agencies can be subject to fines of maximum 500 dollars. If agencies knowingly fail to adhere to the rules, they can be charged with a second degree misdemeanor, jailed up to 60 days, and/or have to pay up to a 500 dollar fine. If someone knowingly disobeys the Public Records Law they can be suspended, impeached, or fired and be found guilty to a first degree misdemeanor with up to one year in prison, and a fine up to 1,000 dollars. Violators of chapter 119—which states that “all state, county, and municipal records shall be open for inspection and copying by any person”—can be guilty of a noncriminal infraction, and charged a fee of no more than 500 dollars.