Moulton attorney Cecil Caine mailed letters to The Daily last week about records he was making available to the public at Lawrence Medical Center.

Caine is attorney for the Lawrence County Healthcare Authority Board, and for some time the whereabouts of board records have been in question.

Caine pointed out that lease agreements between two companies that operated the hospital for the board would be available for public viewing. He also said documents relating to the purchase of Moulton Attentus LLC were available.

It all looks good until you read his advice to hospital Administrator Tom Dunning. He tells Dunning to require individuals who want to view the records to provide their address, telephone number and “any other appropriate information that you deem necessary.”

Caine also says the media and general public should have “at least limited access.” The attorney also is requesting that Dunning notify him when a request is made to see records.

Caine’s advice and his request are contrary to Alabama law, which says every citizen has the right to inspect and make a copy of public documents.

The law does not vest Dunning or Caine with the authority to interrogate citizens who want to view public records.

As to the records he said will be available to the public, this is a drop in the bucket.

Where are the closing statements when Baptist Health Systems and Attentus Healthcare left the hospital?

Birmingham attorney Susan Doughton said she had authority board records in storage. Doughton helped negotiate the leases with Baptist and Attentus.

Where are those records?

Where are Caine’s itemized billing records to the authority board?

Where are the board meeting minutes kept?

More importantly, where are the records telling the public how the board spends the almost $800,000 it receives annually in property taxes?

Caine represented the Lawrence County Commission for more than 10 years and should be versed on the state’s open records act and know that some of his requests, if not illegal, are certainly unnecessary.

Allowing limited access is like giving someone 49 pieces of a 50-piece puzzle. You never get the full picture.

The board, which has the ultimate authority over the records, should stop the shenanigans with public records and just make them available as law requires.