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Hartselle Enquirer

Our views

By Staff
Exercising your right to know
Public officials ask for many things.
They ask for more money.
They ask for citizen input.
They ask for public support.
But when those tables are turned – when the public asks for something from its leaders – the change in roles can be tricky. No where are those more obvious than in the access to public records and documents throughout our state.
A recent statewide project, the first of its kind, shows a third of those asked to comply with Alabama's public records law failed to do so.
Fortunately, the access problems didn't exist in our area.
Hartselle and Morgan County were good examples of complying with the public records laws. Surveyors said they received all requested materials from the city of Hartselle and Morgan County.
Survey organizers noted access was most often granted in areas where the staff was well trained and versed in the public records laws. Hartselle and Morgan County officials should be commended for their efforts in training their staffs and ensuring the public's rights to these documents.
Alabama law requires public documents, including city council and county commission meeting minutes, police reports, school superintendent performance evaluations, jail logs and university crime blotters be made available to the public.
This law means any Alabama resident has a right to inspect these documents without giving a reason or providing an explanation for their interest. Failure to comply with the public records law is a misdemeanor, though the enforcement of the statutes has been shoddy at best.
Our state must do a better job of enforcing the public records access laws and punishing violators. While it is the right and the moral duty of state residents to become involved in our government, providing the necessary information to citizens is a legal obligation for public officials. If they violate this law, they should be punished.
We also must be vigilant against efforts to erode our public records and open meetings laws, which have been called some of the most inclusive in the nation. Each year, some groups try to change the laws, limiting the public's access to some records. Some of these efforts have been successful.
What we must all do is work to keep these records available and to keep the lines of communication from public official to citizen as free and open as possible.

At a Glance

PowerGrid Services in Hartselle evacuated for bomb threat

Morgan County

20 under 40: Trey Chowning

Falkville

20 under 40: TJ Holmes

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20 under 40: Spencer Bell

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20 under 40: Shelby Keenum

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20 under 40: Rachel Howard

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20 under 40: Mary Virgina Halbrooks

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20 under 40: Maggie McKelvey

Decatur

20 under 40: Maegan Jones

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20 under 40: Lindsey Tapscott

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‘He lets us have sex’: More details emerge on Hartselle man accused of child exploitation 

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Hartselle church creates Easter-themed escape rooms 

Danville

Family tradition: State livestock show legacy spans generations

Editor's picks

Baseball for Beau: More than $8k raised for scholarship named after Hartselle child  

Falkville

20 under 40: Lela Weeks

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20 under 40: Kalleigh Thomas

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20 under 40: Jaime Hatcher

Hartselle

Veteran Hartselle firefighter charged with possessing child porn

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Cerrowire expansion named finalist in Business Alabama Awards  

At a Glance

Work begins on repairing two bridges over I-65 in Morgan County in coming weeks

At a Glance

Tickets for Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame banquet available

Falkville

Morgan County volunteers celebrated at annual fire department banquet 

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Man jailed for stealing car from jail after earlier release 

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Police: Hartselle man encouraged children to have sex inside his apartment

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