Why Iowa's Governor is being sued. What it is, and is not, about:
"It's about democracy. The Iowa Open Meetings and Records Law is vital to democracy in this state. The law requires government officials, including the governor, to make public records available to anyone who asks. There are exceptions to this law, but officeholders have to respond to all requests for records promptly, and they only have a limited period of time and must cite any legal justification for withholding any records they believe are confidential.
"Without the ability to access public documents and information, citizens have to rely on what government officials choose to tell them about what they are doing and how they are spending taxpayers' money. If elected officials choose not to answer questions from journalists or citizens, the open records law may be the only alternative. If an elected official, like Gov. Reynolds, chooses to ignore legitimate requests for public information for months at a time, as her office has done, there is little recourse besides seeking a court order.
"Unless media organizations and First Amendment advocates like ACLU of Iowa and the Iowa Freedom of Information Council are willing to fight for enforcement of this law, it will quickly become meaningless. That would harm every resident of this state.
"It's our responsibility to stand up for press freedom and also for the rights of any citizen to access the information they need to hold government accountable. That's why we are participating in this lawsuit and why we'll continue to push for open and transparent government."
