State Reps to Vote on Fees for Right-to-Know Requests

The Legislature will vote on a proposal on Wednesday allowing cities and towns to charge any person or organization making a right-to-know request with an upfront fee before delivering the information, according to media reports.

Despite wide opposition to the proposal from media outlets, the New Hampshire Press Association, the NH ACLU, taxpayer activists, open government advocates, and others, HB 646 received an “Ought to Pass” recommendation from the Judiciary Committee, by a 14-4 vote.

Supporters of the bill, like the New Hampshire School Boards Association and the New Hampshire Municipal Association, as well as the sponsor, state Rep. Pat Long, D-Manchester, who is also an alderman, say the time it takes to fulfill right-to-know requests is costly. Opponents of the bill say that it’s a power grab to keep transparency from the public and the press.

“This is the most shameless attempt by Concord lobbyists to hide government waste and corruption from the public we’ve seen in years,” said Trent Spiner, executive editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader and president of the New Hampshire Press Association. “Rather than trying to hide information from the public, the municipal association should be showing its members how to use the Internet and technology to be more responsive to the public.”

Former state Rep. Harriet Cady, who recently was commended for decades of right-to-know activism, called the bill “bad” because it would deter the historical watchdog role of the public and the press.