California cities are suspending or delaying requests for public records as the coronavirus depletes staff. Fresno, San Leandro and Fremont announced new parameters. First Amendment Coalition’s David Snyder said open records is still law and while some delay might be reasonable, it was crucial that local governments comply with the California Public Records Act especially in a crisis when the public needs to know what their elected officials are doing. (Los Angeles Times, March 19, 2020, by Ben Poston)
The Fresno City Council voted to temporarily suspend its obligation to fulfill public records request. Synder called that move “extreme,” and said they should still provide records but take longer. (The Fresno Bee, March 19, 2020, by Thaddeus Miller)