NC DOT charges $468 to see public records

The News & Observer reports that the state Department of Transportation is demanding that the Southern Environmental Law Center pay a $468 fee to review state emails and other files. The paper quotes SMVT partner Amanda Martin:

Amanda Martin, an attorney for the N.C. Press Association, said she could recall only one other case in which a public agency tried to charge a fee related to inspection of public documents.

“It is essentially unheard-of in my experience, and I don’t think it is supported by the law,” Martin said. “If anything, information technology should make public information more accessible – not less.”

Read the whole story here.