Here's why Iowa Capital Dispatch is suing the governor

by Kathie Obradovich, Editor


Iowa Capital Dispatch and our deputy editor, Clark Kauffman, joined other media organizations in a lawsuit filed last week by ACLU of Iowa seeking enforcement of the Iowa Open Meetings and Records Act.

The lawsuit names Gov. Kim Reynolds, her office, a staff attorney and the office’s current and former communications directors as plaintiffs.

As editor of the Capital Dispatch, I wanted to make it clear to our readers and to Iowans what this lawsuit is all about.

First, here’s what the lawsuit is NOT about:

It’s not about partisanship. Iowa Capital Dispatch has no position, official or otherwise, about the governor’s campaign for re-election. As a not-for-profit organization, we can’t support or oppose candidates for public office. If a governor of another party had violated the state open records law to the extent Reynolds’ office has, we would not hesitate to take the same action. We’re not in this to try to make the governor look bad or to influence next year’s election. That’s not our role.

Read more: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/12/20/heres-why-iowa-capital-dispatch-is-suing-the-governor/