Stop anti-transparency bill in California

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AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File

State legislators are considering one of the most anti-transparency proposals in recent memory. Assembly Bill 1821 would let agencies charge exorbitant fees for public records and drag requesters into court by accusing them of having “malicious intent,” and would narrow who qualifies as a journalist. What happens in California rarely stays in California — that’s why the bill isn’t just bad for the Golden State, but for government accountability across America too. Join us in urging the state Senate Judiciary Committee to vote against this bill.

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Email California state senators

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Dear Senator:

I am writing to urge you to vote against Assembly Bill 1821. This measure would undermine access to public records across thousands of government agencies. It would let agencies charge exorbitant fees for those records, impacting journalists, watchdogs, and ordinary citizens seeking information about their government. It would also let agencies drag requesters into court by accusing them of having "malicious intent,” which is likely not to discourage abusive requests, but instead discourage legitimate ones. The bill even narrows who qualifies as a journalist under state law, potentially excluding freelancers and student reporters.

California law already gives agencies tools to deal with abusive requests, and the problem is not that people are getting records too easily — some journalists have waited years for relatively simple requests.

AB 1821 initially received endorsements when it was a more modest proposal to give agencies a few extra days to acknowledge records requests. The newly amended version before you is a radical departure and should not be confused with its earlier form. This bill would now do enormous damage to transparency in the state, and set a terrible example for the rest of the country at a time when California must lead by example.

I urge you to support government transparency and reasonable access to records by voting against AB 1821.

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