Montana Public Records Act

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Contents

State sunshine
State laws
How to ask for records
Transparency headlines
Statutory changes
Notable FOIA requests
State sunshine lawsuits
State court cases
E-mail access
Private agency, public dollars
The WikiFOIA portal

The Montana Public Records Act is a series of laws designed to guarantee that the public has access to public records of government bodies at all levels in Montana.

The Montana Open Meetings Law legislates the methods by which public meetings are conducted.

Montana's transparency report card

A 2008 study, BGA - Alper Integrity Index, conducted by the Better Government Association and sponsored by Alper Services, ranked Montana #46 in the nation with an overall percentage of 38.40%. [1]

A 2007 study, Graded state responsiveness to FOI requests, conducted by BGA and the NFOIC, gave Montana 9 points out of a possible 100, a letter grade of "F", and a ranking of 47 out of the 50 states.[2]

A 2002 study, Freedom of Information in the USA, conducted by IRE and BGA, ranked Montana's law as the 45th worst in the country, giving it a letter grade of "F".[3]

Public Records

Montana law guarantees it's citizens the right to examine documents and other records that the government produces in the course of carrying out public duties.

Open Meetings

"The legislature finds and declares that public boards, commissions, councils, and other public agencies in this state exist to aid in the conduct of the peoples' business. It is the intent of this part that actions and deliberations of all public agencies shall be conducted openly. The people of the state do not wish to abdicate their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them."[4]

Who May Request Montana Records?

The Montana public records law states that citizens are entitled to public records in the state, however, the Montana Constitution states that no person may be denied such records. The Constitution trumps statute, so anyone may request public documents in Montana. "No person shall be deprived of the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies". [5] [6]

For requester residency requirements in other states, see the list of who can make public record requests by state.

See Also

External Links

References

  1. ↑ Integrity Index available for download here
  2. ↑ Graded state responsiveness to FOI requests, 2007
  3. ↑ Freedom of Information in the USA, 2002
  4. ↑ Montana Code 2-3-201
  5. ↑ Montana Constitution Article II, section 9
  6. ↑ Montana Code 2-6-102
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