Court rejects governor’s move to dismiss public records suit
Associated PressDES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday refused to dismiss a lawsuit against Gov. The case stems from a 2021 lawsuit filed by the three media organizations and their reporters who claimed the governor had violated Iowa’s open records law by ignoring requests for government records. State lawyers asked a district court judge to dismiss the case, noting the governor’s office had ultimately responded to the requests and released public records. The media organization argued the governor’s office’s lack of any response to record requests until after a lawsuit was filed represented a violation of the open records law, but state lawyers claimed the governor wasn’t obligated to respond within a specified time period and that it would be inappropriate for the Supreme Court to issue requirements for the Executive Branch. “And we believe that this second kind of refusal — an implied or “silent” refusal — can be shown through an unreasonable delay in producing records.” Although the media organization’s case still must try their case in district court, Story said the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling set an important precedent for open records regulations.
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Judge dismisses official’s lawsuit against Iowa governor
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Iowa governor unveils public records process after lawsuit
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