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Newspaper
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Sep 25, 2000
Page
5
Government workers face many laws but risk little for violations of Iowa public records rules as AGs and local prosecutors seldom act. The piece questions enforcement and asks if a better system exists for handling public requests for public records.
Linn County Sheriff Don Zeller refuses to release a public gun permit list, citing privacy concerns and potential targets for criminals. He notes the open records law presumes openness but argues for considering why a requester seeks the data. He plans to seek a county attorney opinion amid differing local interpretations.
Iowa sheriffs hold 24160 civilian gun permits from 1999 but no accessible computer database. Des Moines police share incident reports freely while Cedar Rapids and other departments restrict access citing policy, with some clerks denying public requests and officials defending limited disclosure.
A statewide test by 14 Iowa newspapers showed 80 percent of school superintendents did not provide the requested copies of the superintendent's employment contract and student achievement summaries. Only four districts mailed materials. 13 percent responded within 90 days.
Dozens of Iowa school districts failed to respond within 90 days to a request for superintendent employment contracts and a summary of average state test scores. The list includes Ackley-Geneva, Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, Burlington, Des Moines area districts, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, and many more across the state.
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