In an age when anyone with Internet access can download Michael Jackson's autopsy report, one would think a benign record like minutes from County Council meetings would be available.

They are not.

Neither are health inspections of local schools, scores of government contracts, school bus safety reports, ethics disclosure forms of public officials or police reports.

As society increasingly digitizes everything from library books to reality shows, public agencies are also increasingly posting public documents online. Yet, Maryland public records laws are mum on forcing public agencies to post material on the...