Gov. Kathy Hochul had a clear choice to make in deciding whether to sign or veto a bill that would have reduced delays in governments turning over public documents to the citizens.

Option 1: Side with the people and make it easier for them to access government records in a timely manner.

Option 2: Give local government bodies another excuse to delay and deny citizens access to public records.

On Friday, she chose Option 2. In doing so, she missed an opportunity to make state and local government more transparent and accessible, and to reaffirm the public’s right to know.

The bill the governor vetoed on Friday (A3425A/S2520B) would have strengthened the state Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) by tightening the timetable for government bodies to respond to public requests for information, setting firm deadlines for responding to and honoring such requests.

In urging the governor to sign the bill, press freedom and good government groups in the state had called it “the most significant improvement to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) passed by the Legislature in years.”

Here’s why the bill was so significant:

Because of the loose language of the existing Freedom of Information Law, state and local governments have gotten into the bad habit of delaying the........

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