COLUMBUS, Ohio — Advocates for free speech and government transparency are upset about a new ohio law that could make it harder for the public to access police records.
The law, passed in the early hours of thursday, lets police departments charge up to $75 per hour for providing body camera footage requested by the public. The charges could total up to $750 per request, a big change from the little-to-no cost many departments currently charge.
Gary daniels of the aclu’s ohio chapter called the move a “major blow” to government accountability. “police have the power to harm and even kill us,” he said. “this law makes it expensive for people to get the videos they need to hold police accountable.”
Daniels and monica nieporte, from the ohio news media association, said they were shocked by how the law was passed. It was added at the last minute to a 441-page bill introduced at 1:15 a.M. And passed just an hour later. “this was deliberately done in secret,” daniels said. Nieporte said her group would urge governor mike dewine to veto the law, adding, “we’re concerned this will discourage news media from accessing important public records.”
Legal experts like jack greiner, a first amendment attorney, are also disappointed. “public records laws are meant to make information more accessible. Adding high fees does the opposite,” he said.
Ohio attorney general dave yost defended the law, arguing that public records requests, especially from social media influencers and youtubers, have overwhelmed police departments. He said the fees would help cover the labor-intensive process of handling these requests.
However, critics argue that the law overturns decades of legal precedent. Courts have previously ruled that public agencies can only charge for the actual cost of materials, like paper or a cd, not for labor. Many departments, like cleveland police, even provide digital records for free.
Daniels pointed out potential issues with the new fees. For example, a single incident involving multiple police departments could result in several $750 charges for the same footage. Families of victims of police violence and others seeking justice could face financial barriers to accessing records.
Daniels and others believe the measure should have been introduced as a standalone bill with public hearings. This would have allowed for a proper debate, giving police chiefs the chance to explain their concerns about excessive requests and letting the public weigh in.
“to sneak this in without notice or discussion is irresponsible and undermines trust in the government,” daniels said.