Montgomery, AL – The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that the public has a right to see the records of a health care authority in its sale of assets of two hospitals in northwest Alabama.
The nearly unanimous ruling Friday went in favor of the TimesDaily newspaper, which had requested records from the Health Care Authority of Lauderdale County and the city of Florence.
The justices, reversing a circuit court, held that the health care authority is a local government entity and its sale of assets is subject to the Open Records Act of Alabama.
The court disagreed with the health care authority's claim that disclosure might harm those bidding for the assets.
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