Experts say Kentucky bill to block open records access 'really scary'

Legislation that proposes new restrictions to the commonwealth's open records law would make Kentucky one of only a handful of states that prevents nonresidents from obtaining public documents there, according to national experts. House Bill 387 started out as a proposal to limit citizens' access to records related to businesses seeking financial incentives from the government for projects that could boost economic development and job creation in Kentucky, but then a legislative committee approved new restrictions to it, including the residency requirement.Most states allow people to request and access public records regardless of where they live, according to Lucy Dalglish, dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. However, several states — including Tennessee and Arkansas — do limit access to people who reside within their borders.