ST. LOUIS — Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that her office has secured corrective action from the City of Kansas City after the city admitted to knowingly violating Missouri’s Sunshine Law in its handling of three public records requests.
Hanaway
The announcement follows litigation filed in April in Jackson Circuit Court and concludes with a settlement requiring improved transparency practices, formal training and a commitment to future compliance with state law.
The enforcement action was necessary because “government belongs to the people,” and public officials cannot withhold information from lawful oversight, Hanaway concluded.
The Attorney General’s Office determined that the city had failed to appropriately respond to three separate records requests directed to the Mayor’s Office, the City Manager’s Office and the Finance Department.
Under Missouri’s Sunshine Law, public governmental bodies must either provide requested records or issue a valid explanation for delay within three business days. The state asserted that Kansas City did neither.
The city admitted to violating Section 610.023.3 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri by not providing records or issuing the required explanation within the statutory deadline.
This acknowledgement formed the basis for the settlement, which mandates a series of reforms intended to ensure such violations do not occur again.
Hanaway said full transparency is essential to maintaining public trust and emphasized that her office will act whenever the Sunshine Law is violated.
She expressed satisfaction that the resolution includes “meaningful reforms, clearer accountability, and a renewed commitment to openness for Kansas City taxpayers.”
As part of the settlement agreement, Kansas City collaborated with the Attorney General’s Office to identify necessary training areas and subsequently conducted multiple Sunshine Law training sessions for its custodian of records, as well as dozens of departmental liaisons.
The city also filed a Certificate of Compliance with Sunshine Law Training Requirement with the Attorney General’s Office, confirming that key personnel have received formal instruction on their obligations under state law.
The settlement further includes a formal agreement mandating future compliance and improvements to the city’s public records procedures.
The Attorney General’s Office said the resolution brings the case to a close and avoids additional costs to Missouri taxpayers that further litigation might have incurred.
Hanaway called the outcome “a win for transparency and for the people of Kansas City,” adding that her office will continue to enforce the Sunshine Law statewide regardless of a governmental body’s size.
She reaffirmed her office’s commitment to protecting Missourians’ right to know how their government operates and ensuring that public officials adhere to statutory requirements designed to guarantee openness in public affairs.
