Shine light on Iowa Public Radio

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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What's “public” about Iowa Public Radio?

Even though the organization has received more than $1 million in public funds this year, through state appropriations and financial support from the three Regents universities, an IPR attorney is arguing its board isn't subject to open meetings law.

This isn't the first time such a case has been made. It's time for some clarification about whether and to what extent such quasi-government entities are subject to Iowa's sunshine laws. We think they should be.

When organizations rely substantially on public funding and deal with public issues or business, the case is strong to make them operate in full public view.

The state Board of Regents created Iowa Public Radio in 2004 to manage public radio operations at The University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.

But when a Gazette reporter recently filed a Freedom of Information Act request for results of an employee culture survey, officials refused access, saying that IPR isn't subject to Iowa's Sunshine laws.

IPR officials said they believe the organization's business “should be as open to public inspection as possible,” and referred the reporter to the regents. An attorney for that board said she agrees that IPR is not a public body, and therefore not subject to open meetings law, although some of the group's records likely are public,

Iowa Attorney General's Office spokesman Geoff Greenwood said IPR's status is “complicated.”

But it's not unusual. When the Iowa Association of School Boards made headlines just a couple years ago, the group, bankrolled by membership fees paid by school districts, maintained it's not a public entity because that taxpayer support is indirect.

State legislators passed a few new requirements specific to the IASB, but Gov. Branstad vetoed broader legislation that would have made corporations and non-profits working with school boards subject to state open records and open meetings laws.

Recent events make us wonder if that failed legislation was broad enough. It only makes sense that any group that is largely public, doing public business, using public funds, should be an open book.

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