National Freedom of Information Day
March 16, 2018 14:20 Book stuff | Food for Thought
Government agencies are required to allow citizens to have access to public records. But many do not …
National Freedom of Information Day or Inspection of Public Records Act in New Mexico
March 16, is National Freedom of Information Day. In New Mexico we have the Inspection of Public Records act that ALL government agencies have to follow. It is a law but most government agencies can’t be bothered following the law, including the Attorney General.
As some of you know, I am in the middle of my own IPRA lawsuit. Allegedly, the New Mexico Public Education Department denied me thirty-four letters. Their crack lawyer said they were never written and don’t exist which is a good excuse but in this case is not true. You see five of those letters are mine, I have them, they were written, and do exist. This is dumb!
To mark the day and show how frustrated I am and how clueless some government agencies are, I am going to show documents from my latest IPRA letters. They violate IPRA in so many ways.
The February 9, 2018, letter was late. You are supposed to get it within three business days. It was four or five depending how you count. NMPEDs own letter documents the dates. You would think the Public Education Department could count but you would be wrong. The letter says a response will come within 15 days (calendar) of February 5. That didn’t happen either.
Now on to the second letter of February 22, 2018. It was determined that the IPRA request was BURDENSOME. That is fine but it has to be done in three business days and not seventeen days. And, you by law, are supposed to get the BURDENSOME information – unless specified for an extension – within the fifteen days. So the whole thing breaks the IPRA statute.
The anticipated information is due –they say- on March 16. Very appropriate. We will see if it comes.
Barbe Awalt