New Website to Launch for Records Requests

Secretary of State Natalie Tennant is unveiling a website to track public records requests throughout state and local governments. Tennant told The Associated Press the website cataloguing Freedom of Information Act requests will be up Friday, as state law requires. It will list agencies, what was requested and who requested the information. It will say how much agencies charged and whether they partly or entirely granted requests, or denied them, and reasons for denials. The site won’t include agency records produced in response. Local and state entities must begin submitting information on requests made Friday and afterward. The law doesn’t include penalties for agencies that don’t comply. The website is required under a law passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in April.