SAINT PAUL, MN – Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, introduced HF3041 today, a bill that would prohibit fees to view or download. The Minnesota Courts system recently announced plans to charge members of the public $8 to view or download public documents longer than one page, raising concerns from members of the press and government transparency advocates.
““Minnesotans have a right to access documents relevant to their personal cases as well as to transparency in government,” said Robbins. “The plan by the MN Courts to charge $8 for someone to view or download an online document does not make sense – people should not be charged to access and download public records that are available online. I am proud to introduce this bill to preserve Minnesotans’ ability to access official records and uphold transparency in our state.”
The $8 fee for online documents goes to the General Fund, not to pay for court costs. Those who want to get hard copies of court documents from the courts still will have to pay the $8 fee to cover the cost of staff time and the paper copies. More information on the bill can be found here.
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