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Reporters, public raise records‑access concerns; senators point to sunset commission and potential transparency bills
Summary
Journalists and a community member described months‑long delays obtaining public records; senators said transparency problems exist in some departments and suggested possible legislative fixes and that a Sunset Commission could request information and hold hearings.
Juneau — Reporters and a member of the public raised complaints about access to state records and cooperation with auditors during a Senate Republican caucus press conference, prompting senators to say they would consider legislative remedies and pointed to the proposed Sunset Commission as a mechanism to increase transparency.
Jeff (last name Lanfield in the transcript) said he has filed records requests to state departments — including requests related to reimbursement claims involving the Department of Community and Regional Affairs — and sometimes waits months for records. He also said the Legislative Budget Audit Committee has sought cooperation from the Department of Revenue on oil and gas tax audits and was refused, describing the pattern as a major barrier to oversight.
Senator Kaufman asked for suggested legislative language on transparency and said he recognized agency workload and systems issues that can delay compliance with public records requests. "If you have any ideas for... a piece of legislation around sunlight, I'd be happy to hear it," Kaufman said.
Senator Hughes said the Sunset Commission would have authority to request agency records, hold public hearings and increase scrutiny of agency files and actions. She suggested that if the political will exists, the commission model could address problems requesters have faced.
No transparency legislation was filed at the press conference and no committee action was taken. Speakers encouraged individuals with specific instances of delayed records to provide examples to lawmakers considering draft language.
