Lindsley Smith's FOIA Bill

I'm deleting all of my e-mails to and from Larry Zeno before I post this, so don't get cute with an official request for all electronic data on my state computer.

Rep. Lindsley Smith (D-Fayetteville) has circulated a draft of legislation that she'll introduce that will buttress the state's Freedom of Information Act with the threat of attorney's fees in the event a claimant wins in court. I don't see it online as of today, so I guess she didn't file it as of Friday. I'm so impressed with the bill that I'm going to see if I can get added as a co-sponsor prior to its filing.

It never hurts to advocate strong sunshine laws. Open government is better government, and it is beyond me why anyone would put up a fight to open meetings or release public documents against a person/organization that buys ink by the barrel. I've heard the "yeah, but" on this issue as well as the attempted extensions of executive session, and I still see no problem with any government entity following the letter of the law, regardless of the nature of the business.

The only problem I foresee, and I'm speaking (typing) uninformed here since I don't have the proposal in front of me, is that the attorney's fee would presumably be paid by the governmental entity and not the offending public official(s). However, that's likely the only way the claimant would ever actually enforce the judgment. Let 'er rip, Lindsley. Great idea.