02/02/16 – By Kate Irby
Rep. Greg Steube’s bill that would no longer mandate that judges award attorney fees to plaintiffs who win public records request cases passed its second House hearing Tuesday morning, after contentious testimony on both sides and more than 60 people signing up to comment on it.
Current law says a judge “shall” award attorney fees against the responsible agency if a court determines the agency acted unlawfully when it refused to provide a public record. Steube’s bill would change “shall” to “may,” giving judges discretion on whether or not to award attorney fees. [Read More]