Missouri Sunshine Law /tags/missouri-sunshine-law Missouri Sunshine Law en-US Copyright © 2024 Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:00:00 GMT Missouri attorney general still working through 2023 Sunshine Law backlog /government-politics-issues/2024-07-08/missouri-attorney-general-2023-sunshine-records-backlog The public is often forced to wait for months — even up to a year — for simple requests that historically take just a few days to turn over. The attorney general insists wait times for new requests are down to just 60 days. Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:00:00 GMT /government-politics-issues/2024-07-08/missouri-attorney-general-2023-sunshine-records-backlog Jason Hancock Missouri fined $60K for Sunshine Law violations over inmate death records /government-politics-issues/2024-04-24/missouri-corrections-fined-60-thousand-public-records-violations-inmate-death The Missouri Western District Court of Appeals upholds finding that the state's Department of Corrections was “knowing and purposeful” in refusing to release records of inmate who committed suicide to his mother. Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:36:21 GMT /government-politics-issues/2024-04-24/missouri-corrections-fined-60-thousand-public-records-violations-inmate-death Rudi Keller Phelps County town drops appeal of $80,000 Missouri Sunshine Law judgment /law-order/2024-03-15/phelps-county-town-drops-appeal-of-80-000-missouri-sunshine-law-judgment Edgar Springs, a town of 200 in southern Phelps County, must now pay Rebecca Varney $750, plus almost $80,000 in attorney fees, to satisfy a November court decision that found it violated Varney’s First Amendment rights and the Missouri Sunshine Law. Fri, 15 Mar 2024 21:58:20 GMT /law-order/2024-03-15/phelps-county-town-drops-appeal-of-80-000-missouri-sunshine-law-judgment Rudi Keller Appeals court tosses challenge to Missouri House rule hiding constituent information /government-politics-issues/2024-03-06/appeals-court-tosses-challenge-to-missouri-house-rule-hiding-constituent-information In a 2-1 decision, the Western District Court of Appeals ordered the dismissal of a case challenging rules written in 2019 to limit legislative records subject to the Sunshine Law. Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:00:00 GMT /government-politics-issues/2024-03-06/appeals-court-tosses-challenge-to-missouri-house-rule-hiding-constituent-information Rudi Keller Missouri attorney general expects to end Sunshine Law backlog by May /government-politics-issues/2024-02-07/missouri-attorney-general-expects-to-end-sunshine-law-backlog-by-may After clearing a backlog of public records requests by his predecessor, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey told lawmakers his office expects to finalize all sunshine requests submitted in the last year by May. Wed, 07 Feb 2024 11:00:00 GMT /government-politics-issues/2024-02-07/missouri-attorney-general-expects-to-end-sunshine-law-backlog-by-may Jason Hancock Missouri hides more court information from the public than other states /government-politics-issues/2024-01-17/missouri-hides-more-court-information-from-the-public-than-other-states A Missouri law passed in 2022 deletes the names of victims and witnesses in court documents, which experts say has made Missouri courts the least transparent in the nation. Wed, 17 Jan 2024 11:00:00 GMT /government-politics-issues/2024-01-17/missouri-hides-more-court-information-from-the-public-than-other-states William H. Freivogel, Ted Gest Missouri AG set to finally start work on public records requests submitted this year /government-politics-issues/2023-12-03/missouri-ag-set-to-finally-start-work-on-public-records-requests-submitted-this-year It’s taken Attorney General Andrew Bailey his entire first year in office to work through a backlog of requests he inherited from his predecessor. Sun, 03 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT /government-politics-issues/2023-12-03/missouri-ag-set-to-finally-start-work-on-public-records-requests-submitted-this-year Jason Hancock Missouri AG vows to complete 2022 public records requests by end of year /government-politics-issues/2023-10-11/missouri-ag-vows-to-complete-2022-public-records-requests-by-end-of-year The attorney general’s office says it has five staffers working on the Sunshine Law backlog and a policy of not charging fees for processing requests. But the first come, first serve strategy has meant hundreds of requests wait in limbo for months — even years. Wed, 11 Oct 2023 10:00:00 GMT /government-politics-issues/2023-10-11/missouri-ag-vows-to-complete-2022-public-records-requests-by-end-of-year Jason Hancock Pile of public records requests swells as Missouri AG works through stack from 2021 /government-politics-issues/2023-08-30/pile-of-public-records-requests-swells-as-missouri-ag-works-through-stack-from-2021 The Missouri Attorney General's slow response times have renewed scrutiny over how the office handles enforcing state transparency laws. Wed, 30 Aug 2023 10:00:00 GMT /government-politics-issues/2023-08-30/pile-of-public-records-requests-swells-as-missouri-ag-works-through-stack-from-2021 Jason Hancock Memo shows Missouri AG helped craft governor’s plan to weaken open records laws /government-politics-issues/2023-07-06/memo-shows-missouri-ag-helped-craft-governors-plan-to-weaken-open-records-laws Andrew Bailey laid out the proposal in 2021 before he was attorney general. His office won’t clarify whether he still believes the changes should become law. Thu, 06 Jul 2023 16:27:35 GMT /government-politics-issues/2023-07-06/memo-shows-missouri-ag-helped-craft-governors-plan-to-weaken-open-records-laws Jason Hancock