Public Records Access in Connecticut: Not Perfect, But Better than Everyone Else

The Center for Public Integrity, which four months ago gave Connecticut favorable marks in an analysis of every state’s “corruption index,” is heaping praise on the Nutmeg State again, giving it top honors in access to public information.

Still, that best-in-the-nation rating only earned the state a B+, with the Center finding a gap between the ideals and the execution of Connecticut’s public-access rules. In particular, the report found that citizens sometimes have to wait too long to obtain information, and that officials rarely face harsh sanctions for violating freedom-of-information laws.

“But those deficiencies pale in comparison to South Carolina,” the Center wrote, adding that the Palmetto State received the lowest score – 22 percent — among the 23 states that received failing grades. South Carolina has no administrative process for appealing a refusal to disclose public records  – the only recourse is to file an expensive lawsuit – and some agencies charge $6 to $10 per page to make copies of documents.

“In state after state, the laws are riddled with exemptions and loopholes that often impede the public’s right to know rather than improve upon it,” said Caitlin Ginley, a staff writer at Center for Public Integrity.

Read the full report here.