"Public records allow citizens and journalists to hold those in power accountable to us, the people of Indiana. We can see how our government is spending money, who benefits and who is adversely impacted. Kelly pursued the records on executions so her readership could more clearly see what executions were costing the state."
"I also think that what a lot of people don't realize is, they think we have an agenda when we ask for a record, and we don't. Sometimes we just want to see what it says. It doesn't necessarily mean we're doing a story. But then when you hide it from us, you start to think, 'oh well, what are they hiding,' right?"
"Lately, the Braun administration is requiring formal Access to Public Records Act requests for even simple items. When public records requests are severely delayed or denied, it morphs into a fight for access."
The Indiana Capital Chronicle pursued public records from the Indiana Department of Correction to determine how much money the state spends on drugs used in executions. When the agency delayed and denied the request, the newsroom filed a lawsuit that lasted an entire year. Editor-in-chief Niki Kelly argued that execution costs are routine public information comparable to judicial salaries, construction expenses, and official travel spending. She emphasized that public records enable citizens and journalists to monitor government spending and hold officials accountable. The Braun administration increasingly requires formal Access to Public Records Act requests for routine information. On February 27, a Marion County Superior Court judge ruled in the Capital Chronicle's favor, determining the Department of Correction failed to respond within reasonable timeframes and wrongly denied access to the records.
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