The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - Attorney General Jim Petro is reminding cities, schools, libraries and other local government groups of their obligations to follow the state's open records law.

Petro sent letters recently to several leaders of municipal organizations encouraging them to increase education and training of public employees about Ohio's open records law.

Petro's reminder follows a survey by Ohio newspapers and the Associated Press that found public employees followed the law only about half the time when asked to provide common records on an unconditional and timely basis.

"This mission requires a concerted statewide effort to better serve the citizens who have a right to be informed about the acts of their government," Petro said in the letter.

Petro and Rep. Scott Oelslager of Canton also said Thursday they are reviewing the records law with the goal of introducing bills to make it easier to get records.

Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes said he would like to see state law changed to require that requests for public records be made in writing.

Such a requirement could crack down on cases where people ask for material, don't pick it up and refuse to pay for it, Rhodes said. It would also slow large, unwieldy requests for information, he said.