California’s Public Records Act is pretty clear. When you ask a government agency for records, they have 10 days to respond. That’s the law. But KCRA 3 has been waiting since November 2024 for records from Caltrans. That’s over nine months of waiting, and instead of documents, they get monthly emails that push the deadline back again and again.
The requests in question seem straightforward. One involved rest area restoration projects. Another was about car damage in a construction zone. These aren’t classified documents. They’re records about basic services that our tax dollars pay for. And yet, Caltrans can’t seem to send them over. Governor Newsom has said transparency is a“legal and moral requirement,”but the pattern of delays suggests the opposite is happening in practice.
These delays matter beyond this one story. If Caltrans can stall on simple requests for almost a year, imagine what happens with complex questions about road safety, contractor payments, or environmental reviews. As Sacramento residents, we deserve to know how state government operates. The system only works if the public can access the records. Have you ever tried filing a public records request? What was your experience?
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
