– Missouri’s Attorney General (AG) Office has been working on public records requests submitted in 2021.
– Attorney General Andrew Bailey inherited 18 unresolved requests from the previous year.
– The backlog was finally cleared last week, after nearly nine months in Bailey’s tenure.
Missouri AG Office Clears 2021’s Pending Public Records Requests
Tackling the Do-List from the Previous Year
An infamous milestone marked by the Missouri Attorney General’s office last week saw the end to a long-standing backlog. Almost nine months after assuming his role, Attorney General Andrew Bailey and his team finally closed the loop on all public records requests submitted during 2021.
Bailey inherited 18 lingering requests when he took office. With the past’s ghost finally laid to rest, the Attorney General’s office ushers a sigh of relief as it turns its focus back to current affairs.
Efficiency Takes Center Stage
Addressing the prosecutorial backlog, Bailey noted, “We fulfilled the last remaining open request from 2021- a feat that speaks volumes about our team’s persistency.”
The clearing of last year’s pile indicates a significant step towards administrative efficiency. It’s an indication that despite challenging conditions, the AG’s office is committed to maintaining responsiveness and transparency- critical components of a robust democracy.
The Breezy Take
While it may have taken longer than hoped, the fulfilment of all public records request from 2021 by Bailey’s office is an important achievement worth a nod. It not only represents a commitment to transparency by the AG’s office, but it is also an encouraging sign of efficiency improvement. Creating an environment that operates without a backlog will indeed bring about smoother working mechanics, fostering greater trust between Missouri’s government and its people.
Original article: https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/29/pile-of-public-records-requests-swells-as-missouri-ag-works-through-stack-from-2021/