Johnston, Iowa — Governor Kim Reynolds says she hasn’t made a final decision on a bill to limit State Auditor Rob Sand’s access to some information, but Reynolds says Sand, the lone Democrat in statewide office, has gone too far in some of his investigations.
The bill would prohibit the auditor from accessing things a person would expect to be kept private, like medical records or police reports. Sand says if the bill is signed into law, he’ll let the public know whenever state officials refuse to turn over records, and Sand says it will make Iowans wonder what they’re hiding. Reynolds says there’s an arbitration process in the bill that would let three people appointed by her, by Sand and by the agency involved decide if records should be turned over.
The bill would also prevent the auditor’s office from seeking a court order to get access to documents from another statewide officeholder, like the governor, or a state agency. Sand says the bill’s arbitration process gives the governor’s office the final word on access to information because it prevents the courts from determining if any denials are justified, even though Sand and the agency involved would also be able to select arbiters. Reynolds says the private sector uses arbitration. Arbitration is very common, and many “Terms of Service” agreements, contain arbitration agreements. The courts have numerous times upheld arbitration agreements, and support alternative dispute resolution.
Reynolds made her comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa PBS.
