Originally published Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 3:43 PM

State public records penalties down to as low as $0

A government agency that improperly withholds public records can now emerge from legal action with no financial penalties.

By The Associated Press

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Gregoire says she doesn't favor higher penalties because those costs are paid by... (May 5, 2011, by I'm Fed Up!) Read more

The only reason for this is to hide important truths from the public. God forbid that... (May 5, 2011, by Death then Resurrection) Read more

Could this also have anything to do with citizens wanting copies of police reports and... (May 5, 2011, by Death then Resurrection) Read more

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OLYMPIA — A government agency that improperly withholds public records can now emerge from legal action with no financial penalties.

A bill approved by Gov. Chris Gregoire on Thursday allows courts to award members of the public compensation of between $0 and $100 for every day that a record was improperly kept secret. That lowers the minimum penalty from $5 per day.

An original version of the bill had also recommended raising the maximum compensation to $500 per day. The Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington supported increasing the maximum, arguing that higher penalties for noncompliance will encourage agencies to provide records in a timely manner.

Gregoire says she doesn't favor higher penalties because those costs are paid by taxpayers.

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