Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has been a champion for police departments throughout his career, working to secure more funding, better equipment and more training for departments across the Buckeye State. He also was a huge factor in helping departments across the state acquire money to purchase body cameras for officers, which have protected officers — and the public.

Now DeWine is the last, best hope that a higher level of integrity can be maintained regarding government transparency in Ohio. Lawmakers, in the late hours of the last days of the 135th General Assembly, approved legislation to limit where public notices are published and also make access to police body camera video footage much more difficult for everyday Ohioans.

State lawmakers in the early morning hours, outside of the public’s view, approved a plan that will require the public to pay an exorbitant fee in order to view police body camera video. These videos of an officer’s interaction with the public typically had been provided by police departments to the public at little to no cost when public records requests are made for them.

The change came in the pre-dawn hours of conference committee, a provision added into a bill on an unrelated topic. If it is enacted by the governor’s signature it will have a chilling effect on access to public records. Because there was no advance notice of this, there was no opportunity for lawmakers to hear testimony on the topic and know the impact on everyday Ohioans.

The change approved by lawmakers will force the public to pay to view body camera footage. Law enforcement agencies, under provisions in the amendment, would be allowed to charge a fee of up to $75 an hour, or $750 total capped at 10 hours, to provide requested body camera video to a citizen or news organization. The total fee will be estimated and is to be paid up front when the request is made.

There is no explanation of how the $75 was arrived at, what happens if the actual cost is less, and what happens if five officers are at the scene — are those separate requests all subject to separate fees?

This will, undoubtedly, damage the public’s ability to know and further chip away at Ohio’s strong history of supporting open government and transparency. It will diminish the public’s trust in police and our local and state governments. It will continue a pattern being witnessed across the nation where government at all levels is limiting access to public information.

If needs to stop here. Gov. DeWine can ensure that happens.

We support calls from around the state for Gov. DeWine to veto HB 331 and HB 497 and to line item certain provisions of HB 315 that deal with public notices and police body camera records. It’s the right thing to do for Ohio.