Iowa governor unveils public records process after lawsuit
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks to reporters following a news conference, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in West Des Moines, Iowa. Reynolds lashed out at President Joe Biden Thursday after he ordered his education secretary to explore possible legal action against states that have blocked school mask mandates and other public health measures meant to protect students against COVID-19. Reynolds, a Republican, has signed a bill into law that prohibits school officials from requiring masks, raising concerns as delta variant virus cases climb across the state and schools resume classes soon. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office has announced a new system for handling open record requests, a day after three media organizations sued her, alleging she has repeatedly violated the state’s open records laws by ignoring requests for government records.
Reynolds’ spokesman Alex Murphy says in an email Friday that the coronavirus pandemic created increased records requests and they are still being processed. He says reporters with outstanding requests will be notified of their status.
The change comes after the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa filed a lawsuit claiming groups they represent have not received requested documents months after requests and in some cases after more than a year.
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