Governor's lawyers admit her staff refused to release public records on COVID-19 testing

When the Iowa Legislature wrote the state’s public records law 50 years ago, lawmakers wanted to guarantee that anyone could obtain copies of state and local government records that are not designated by statute to be kept confidential.

There is no asterisk in the law. There is no exemption saying the governor can ignore the statute.

But there is evidence Gov. Kim Reynolds believes otherwise.

Lawyers representing the governor made a troubling admission this month in a Polk County District Court lawsuit. They acknowledged that a member of Reynolds’ staff directed the Iowa Department of Public Health on at least one occasion to disregard a request for public records about coronavirus testing.

The admission confirms what the Iowa Freedom of Information Council has heard from journalists this year — that requests for public records often go unanswered, and unfilled, when they reach Reynolds’ office. That’s regrettable, because Iowans should be able to expect their governor to comply with state laws, even if she doesn’t agree with their purpose.

Read more: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2020/10/27/governors-lawyers-admit-her-staff-refused-to-release-public-records-on-covid-19-testing/