Public Records Fight Cost Schoold District $44,560

The Polk County School District spent about $44,560 in a fight against a Lakeland public rights advocate.

Nearly $20,000 has been paid to Bartow law firm Boswell & Dunlap for its work in the case, while the district paid $25,000 to advocate Joel Chandler for his lawyer's fees after Circuit Judge Roger Alcott ruled in Chandler's favor for the access to names, phone numbers, addresses and dependents' names of an estimated 13,000 school employees who receive health care.

Read more here.

Do Text Messages Count as Public Records?

Most people would agree that “texting” while driving is a bad idea. But what about “texting” while meeting?

While the technology allowing people to communicate instantly has become common in public places, its use in public meetings is testing the laws on open government.

Read more here.

NOLA Clerks Turn To Internet to Boost Public Records Revenue

Faced with a slumping real estate market, more Louisiana clerks of court are moving public records to the Internet, both as a convenience and a way to shore up their bottom lines.

"It's expensive to do, but I'm hoping it generates a little revenue," said St. Charles Parish Clerk Charles Oubre, who plans to have court records online by September.

Parish clerks' offices are financed entirely by fees levied on legal transactions such as civil suits and real estate transfers. Many clerks have had to dip into surpluses to continue operating.

Read more here.