In an April 25 opinion, Stumbo capped fees on copies of public records at 10 cents per page. The opinion came after Beaver Dam resident Mike Nance contacted the attorney general's office complaining about the 50 cents per page the Hartford, KY, county government charged him.

Under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state open-records laws, agencies are permitted to charge requestors fees for search time and document duplication. However, high fees have become a serious impediment to obtaining government information. Some contend that agencies intentionally discourage requests and limit access with higher fees to avoid public scrutiny and accountability.

While the opinion improves the situation for Kentucky citizens that want government information, steep fees remain an obstacle elsewhere. For example, the Justice Department tried to charge the People for the American Way nearly $400,000 just to conduct the search for documents associated with the organization's request under the Freedom of Information Act. The request, filed Nov. 25, 2003, seeks all records related to the Justice Department's decision to hide the identity of immigrants detained in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.