From the Evansville Courier & Press:
Q: I made a request to the Indiana Finance Authority for all correspondence referring to a business deal that has since collapsed. Even the governor said it’s dead in a statement released by his office.
The Finance Authority has denied my request and pointed to three statutes as their authority. Do you think I have any room to fight with this?
A: Both IC 5-14-3-4(b)(5) and IC 5-14-3-4.7 specify that after negotiations have ended, the final offer of public financial resources communicated by the authority shall be made available for inspection and copying.
As for the (b)(6) provision the Indiana Finance Authority cites, it would only protect the part of any document that was opinion or speculative nature. The final offer would be neither.
So, yes, you have an avenue to challenge this blanket denial.
Contact Steve Key, HSPA executive director and general counsel, with media law questions at skey@hspa.com or (317) 624-4427.
