Access to public records continues to vary widely by state, with Alabama ranking last in compliance, according to a recent analysis. While neighboring Florida responded promptly to a reporter’s request regarding a swatting incident at a U.S. senator’s beach house, Alabama agencies delayed or denied similar requests related to a recent political event. 

In a report by AL.com, the contrast highlights what experts say is a longstanding divide in state-level transparency. Alabama’s 2024 update to its open records law, known as SB270, introduced a 15-day response window with the option for repeated extensions. Some lawmakers and transparency advocates are now calling for further reforms. 

Alabama State Sen. Arthur Orr who sponsored the law, said he supports additional improvements, including potential attorney fee-shifting provisions if agencies fail to comply with records laws. “We rank so poorly when compared to other states which tells me we could certainly do a lot better,” Orr said. 

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, said Alabama’s record retention and response policies remain among the least transparent in the U.S. Drawing on MuckRock data, Cuillier found Alabama had just a 10% compliance rate from 2010 to 2018. 

He said SB270’s long response windows, permission to charge broad fees, and allowance to reject “ambiguous” requests create further barriers. “While it’s great to have a governor who says they will support transparency, the updates didn’t really move the needle for Alabama,” Cuillier said. 

Cuillier emphasized that beyond legal updates, a state’s political culture plays a major role in transparency. “Secrecy creep,” he said, is spreading nationwide, while compliance rates have dropped from about 50% to about one-third. 

Posted: June 3, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, FOI, FOIA, Government Transparency, open records laws, Secrecy Tracker