Local government bureaucrats in Nevada just found a new way to pick your pocket.
Nevada’s Assembly Bill 51 (AB51) – filed on behalf of the Nevada League of Cities and Municipalities – is a blatant cash grab by local governments looking to charge you for something taxpayers have already paid for.
Under this bill, government agencies can slap “reasonable fees” on people requesting public records, not just for printing or copies, but for the time government employees spend retrieving them.
That’s right – taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill twice.
Think about it. You already pay taxes to fund local government operations, including staff salaries and technology costs.
Now, they want to charge you extra for exercising your right to access public information. That’s like a restaurant charging you a “kitchen use fee” on top of your meal price.
The Hidden Attack on Transparency
Public records laws exist to keep government accountable. If politicians and bureaucrats know the public can easily request records, they’re more likely to keep their dealings honest.
But AB51 creates a financial barrier between the public and their right to know.
Imagine a reporter, activist, or even an ordinary citizen wanting to check how tax dollars are being spent. Now they’ll have to think twice before requesting records, because the bill might come with a hefty price tag.
The bill is clearly designed to shield government from scrutiny. Instead of making records more accessible, it makes them more expensive.
What are they trying to hide?
A Bureaucratic Nightmare
AB51 isn’t just a bad idea – it’s a logistical mess.
The bill allows each government entity to create its own pricing formula. That means different fees in different cities and counties, making it impossible for citizens to predict how much a records request will cost.
Will it be $10? $100? More? It’s anybody’s guess.
And don’t think for a second that government agencies won’t exploit this to price out requests they don’t like.
The “Reasonable Fee” Lie
Supporters of AB51 argue that these fees will be “reasonable.” But let’s be real. When has government ever been reasonable with fees?
A city official making $80,000 a year could claim an hour of research time costs taxpayers over $40. What’s stopping agencies from inflating costs or dragging their feet to rack up higher charges?
The bill puts no real limits on what can be charged, giving bureaucrats the power to set the price of transparency.
The Backlash and the Better Solution
Critics of AB51, including conservative watchdog groups and transparency advocates, see it for what it is – an attack on open government.
Public records belong to the public, not to bureaucrats looking to make a quick buck.
If government offices are overwhelmed with records requests, the solution isn’t to impose fees – it’s to modernize record-keeping so information is more easily accessible.
The bottom line? This bill is a disgrace.
It forces taxpayers to pay twice for the same government service, discourages public oversight, and paves the way for corruption. Nevadans should demand their legislators kill AB51 before it kills government transparency.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
