On March 21, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law Senate Enrolled Act 392. It guarantees every Hoosier can obtain electronic records — like Word documents and Excel spreadsheets — in the same format from state and local governments with no copying fees.

SEA 392 contains language that originated in House Bill 1258, which was authored by state Rep. Mike Karickhoff, R-Kokomo. And on June 27, Hoosier State Press Association Executive Director and General Counsel Stephen Key wrote Karickhoff, thanking him for his contributions to working toward an informed citizenry this past session.

Under the existing Indiana Access to Public Records Act, a public official could decide to provide only a printed copy of such a record — and could demand a document requester come to his or her office and pay a copying fee for that document. What’s more, existing Indiana Open Door Law language outlined only what could not be discussed in closed-door, “administrative functions” meetings of county commissioners and town boards, not what could.

The latter was of great concern to the Howard County commissioners. Karickhoff reached out to the state press association before the last legislative session began to work on the administrative-functions language. During those discussions, the Kokomo representative agreed to include language that provided for free public access to electronic public records.

Karickhoff’s HB 1258 didn’t get a hearing in the House Local Government Committee. But committee chairman Dennis Zent, R-Angola, and state Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, agreed to amend the language of the Senate bill at Karickhoff’s request.

The amended SEA 392 passed the House, 93-3, and the Senate, 48-0. District 69 Rep. Jim Lucas, D-Seymour, was one of the three state representatives voting against SEA 392.

The state press association sees the changes in both the Open Door Law and Access to Public Records Act as improvements, particularly the ability to now obtain electronic records with no fee. We do, as well.

Karickhoff, as well as area Reps. Tony Cook, Heath VanNatter and Sen. Jim Buck, all have voted in the past to ensure Hoosiers have access to public records and meetings. We thank them all for looking out for the public’s interest in keeping informed and count on them to continue such advocacy with their votes in 2019.