A Cloudy Record on Massachusetts Sunlight

A Cloudy Record on Massachusetts Sunlight Public records laws are an integral part of holding government accountable. Unfortunately, Massachusetts's track record leaves a lot to be desired: Simple requests can take a year or more to fulfill, search and reproduction fees climb into the thousands of dollars and government offices claim dubious exemption, all leaving the public in the dark and denying their basic right to know. Why Public Records Matter In Massachusetts, public records are essential to shining light on government waste, corruption and life-threatening danger that is, when they are available. Boston Globe used government documents to highlight a deadly trend of nurse "alarm fatigue," impacting policy that can save lives. The Pioneer Institute re- quested records on Massachusetts's investment in Evergreen Solar, shining light on a questionable government investment in a failed company. Sometimes records simply improve understanding how government operates. Commonly Requested Documents: %24 Budgets Police Reports E-mails Presentations MASSACHUSETTS LAW ALLOWS STATE AGENCIES AVERAGE 10 DAYS 69 DAYS TO FULFILL A REQUEST TO FULFILL A REQUEST* Despite repeated claims of transparency, agencies in Massachusetts have a terrible track record of actually providing these records: MuckRock users have filed 56 total requests to 36 different state agencies, and the average re- sponse time of completed requests is 69 days. That total doesn't average in outstanding requests, some of which are a year or more older, and it doesn't reflect agency tendencies to produce high fee estimates (often in the thou- sands or tens thousands) which often discourage requesters. Response Average Times* UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL OF LAW MASSACHUSETTS STATE LOTTERY 427 DAYS 280 DAYS EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND ÉCONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MASSACHUSETTS CLEAN ENERGY CENTER 228 DAYS 102 DAYS HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION 97 DAYS MASSACHUSETTS LOCAL: MOSTLY CLOUDY Many cities simply ignore valid requests, or else S$S ASSESS HUGE FEES While many city and county agencies re- spond more quickly than state agencies, getting records is still a mix of skill, per- sistance and luck. Agencies will rou- tinely invoke non-existant rules, charge excessive fees, delay responses for months or years. With weak enforce- ment and little training, things aren't likely to change anytime soon. Amherst 10 Days Barnstable County 9 Days Boston 29 Days Cambridge 21 Days Newton 24 Days Somerville 51 Days Wellesley 15 Days City Average Response Time www.pioneerinstitute.org Based on requests filed through MuckRock.com lcons from thenounproject.com. Data crunched and designed by Michael Morisy.