The Associated Press reports that the McCrory administration has begun charging a “special service” fee for any public records request that takes more than 30 minutes to process.

News organizations in recent months have been made to pay hundreds of dollars to gain access to records provided freely by previous administrations.

The fees appear to run contrary to the primary principle expressed in North Carolina’s public records law, which says government documents “are the property of the people” and that copies should be provided “as promptly as possible” at “free or at minimal cost.” Agencies can charge under the law for expenses related to the actual cost of duplication, such as the cost of sheets of paper or a CD. However, there is no mention of a 30-minute limit on staff time. Lawyers representing some of the state’s largest newspapers and broadcasters have advised their clients that the demands for payment are “unjustified, improper and in violation of the law.” Media organizations have been advised to pay the fees only under protest.

News & Observer – McCrory staff demanding payment for public records

The AP article points to DHHS as one of the agencies charging for records and leaving requests unanswered.

NC Health News reporter Rose Hoban wrote about the shutdown of communication between DHHS and the press, as well as the possible ramifications of such lack of transparency, in an editorial published in the News & Observer earlier this year:

Gene Matthews, who was the lead counsel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more than two decades, said he believes public officials stonewall the media at their peril. “If you want the public to trust you in an emergency, you have got to be transparent on the normal days, build your credibility when the sun is shining,” he said. “People get much more suspicious in an emergency, when the dark clouds are around. The communication is more difficult. So you’ve got to demonstrate integrity and transparency ahead of time.”