MT SB 544 Attorney General
| Submitted | Dec. 27, 2023 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Alison Boden
To Whom It May Concern:
Under the Montana Public Records Act § 2-6-1001 et seq., I am requesting an opportunity to inspect or obtain copies of the following records:
1. Any digital communications among and between Montana Department of Justice (DOJ) employees concerning or relating to SB 544 of the 2023 legislative session, including without limitation, calendar entries, telephone logs, emails, text messages, agendas, minutes, or notes as well as documents, (including but not limited to PDF, word processing, excel, and slide documents).
2. Any digital communications between DOJ employees and individuals outside of the DOJ concerning or relating to SB 544 of the 2023 legislative session, including without limitation, calendar entries, telephone logs, emails, text messages, agendas, minutes, or notes as well as documents, (including but not limited to PDF, word processing, excel, and slide documents).
3. Any digital communications among and between DOJ employees concerning or relating to HB 349 of the 2023 legislative session, including without limitation, calendar entries, telephone logs, emails, text messages, agendas, minutes, or notes as well as documents, (including but not limited to PDF, word processing, excel, and slide documents).
4. Any digital communications between DOJ employees and individuals outside of the DOJ concerning or relating to HB 349 of the 2023 legislative session, including without limitation, calendar entries, telephone logs, emails, text messages, agendas, minutes, or notes as well as documents, (including but not limited to PDF, word processing, excel, and slide documents).
5. With regard to the document titled “DOJ responsibilities breakdown,” which Policy Advisor Alex Sterhan emailed to Representative Alan Doane and Project Manager Laura Schultz and copied to Chief of Staff Will Selphon on June 28, 2023:
- All documents that discuss or relate to the purpose of preparing the “DOJ responsibilities breakdown” document;
- All documents identifying or relating to factors considered when determining if a bill should be included under the headings, “Direct DOJ Impact”, "Potential DOJ Fiscal Impact", or "Minimal DOJ Impact";
- All emails sent or received within the Department of Justice that discuss, attach, or relate to the document “DOJ responsibilities breakdown”;
- All emails sent or received to individuals outside the Department of Justice that discuss, attach, or relate to the document “DOJ responsibilities breakdown”; and
- All documents that demonstrate which division heads reviewed or provided input into the bills to be included in “DOJ responsibilities breakdown”.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days.
Sincerely,
Alison Boden
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Montana Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2023. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Montana Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2023. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Montana Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2023. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Office of the Attorney General of Montana
Dear Alison,
This email is to acknowledge receipt of your public records request. We are currently processing your request in accordance with the statutory requirements.
Please be informed of the following in relation to your request our agency:
• Is authorized to charge a fee for fulfilling public information requests. This fee will not exceed the actual costs directly incident to fulfilling your request in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible. These costs are inclusive of, but not limited to, the time required to gather the requested public information;
• May require you to pay the estimated fee prior to identifying and gathering the requested public information. We will communicate the estimated fee to you after an initial assessment of your request. This is to ensure that we can allocate the appropriate resources and personnel to fulfill your request accurately and efficiently; and
• Is not obligated to alter or customize public information to provide it in a format specifically requested by you. However, if we agree to customize the records response as per your request, be advised that the costs incurred due to customization to be included in the overall fee.
Should you have any further questions or require additional assistance before our next response, please feel free to contact me.
Best,
[Department of Justice logo. Text reads "Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Montana Department of Justice"]
Kelly Mougeot
Attorney General Austin Knudsen
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email contains information from the Montana Attorney General's Office which is confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not disclose, copy, distribute or use the contents of this information. Please notify me by return email and delete the information you received in error immediately. Thank you
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From: Office of the Attorney General of Montana
Dear Alison,
We are writing to provide an estimate for the fees associated with your recent request for documents, dated 12/27/2023. After an initial review of your request, we have assessed the scope and nature of the information you are seeking.
Based on our preliminary assessment, the estimated fee for searching and retrieving the requested records is $144. This estimate covers the costs directly incident to fulfilling your request, including the time required for gathering the public information, in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible. Please note that this payment is required prior to the commencement of the search, as per our agency's policy and statutory guidelines.
Please be aware that the volume of records corresponding to your request is substantial, and depending on the specific documents identified, additional fees may be required. These potential additional fees would cover the directly incident to fulfilling the request in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible. Any such additional fees would be strictly in accordance with the actual costs incurred by our agency.
At that time, you will have the opportunity to confirm your interest in proceeding with the retrieval and processing of the identified records. To proceed with the initial search and retrieval of the records, please send a check made out to Montana Department of Justice to:
Office of Attorney General
ATTN: Public Records
215 N Sanders ST
Helena, MT 59601
Best,
[Department of Justice logo. Text reads "Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Montana Department of Justice"]
Kelly Mougeot
Attorney General Austin Knudsen
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email contains information from the Montana Attorney General's Office which is confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not disclose, copy, distribute or use the contents of this information. Please notify me by return email and delete the information you received in error immediately. Thank you
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From: Alison Boden
Dear Kelly,
I'll send the check today, thank you.
Best regards,
Alison
From: Office of the Attorney General of Montana
Dear Alison,
Due to the large number of records that were gathered under the provided search terms, there will be an additional processing fee of $1,461.30. Please let me know if you would like to proceed forward.
Best,
[Department of Justice logo. Text reads "Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Montana Department of Justice"]
Kelly Mougeot
Attorney General Austin Knudsen
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email contains information from the Montana Attorney General's Office which is confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not disclose, copy, distribute or use the contents of this information. Please notify me by return email and delete the information you received in error immediately. Thank you
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From: Alison Boden
Dear Kelly,
Thank you for the update. One quick question: what format will the records be sent to me in (digital via email, paper, etc)?
Best,
Alison
From: Office of the Attorney General of Montana
Hello Alison,
It would be e-files, either by email or by a file transfer system, depending on the size of the files.
Best,
[Department of Justice logo. Text reads "Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Montana Department of Justice"]
Kelly Mougeot
Attorney General Austin Knudsen
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email contains information from the Montana Attorney General's Office which is confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not disclose, copy, distribute or use the contents of this information. Please notify me by return email and delete the information you received in error immediately. Thank you
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