Gov. Holcomb vetoes public records search fee

Gov. Eric Holcomb used his first veto Monday — on a piece of legislation that would have allowed units of government to charge the public up to $20 an hour for producing public records.

In a statement, Holcomb said he understood the intent of the legislation but did not support additional barriers to accessing public documents.

"... I view this proposed legislation as contrary to my commitment to providing great government services at a great value for Hoosier taxpayers," Holcomb said in a statement. "Providing access to public records is a key part of the work public servants perform and is important from a government transparency standpoint."

House Enrolled Act 1523 would have allowed an hourly charge to kick in for a records search requiring more than two hours of work. It also required government units to offer electronic versions of documents if requested, which Holcomb supported.

Read more: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/24/gov-holcomb-vetoes-public-records-search-fee/100857196/