People seeking copies of police and jail videos in Ohio may have to pay up to $750, or $75 for each hour of video released, if Gov. Mike DeWine signs a measure approved by the state Legislature this week.
The fee was included in an amendment to the state’s sunshine laws that was quietly introduced and passed early Thursday by the GOP-controlled Legislature. It now heads to the desk of the Republican governor. It’s not clear when or if he’ll act on it. A news media group is urging a veto.
First Amendment and government transparency advocates said they were blindsided by the measure, which would give state and local law enforcement agencies the option to charge people for making copies of records that most departments now provide for free or little cost.
Each state and local department or agency could set their own fee, up to $75 an hour, for videos produced by body cameras, dashboard cameras and surveillance cameras inside jails. They also could continue to provide these public records free of charge. The fees would be capped at $750 per request for each department involved.