Governor Reynolds must release withheld emails, ensure transparency

The governor's office must release the emails that were withheld from the Des Moines Register. As public employees paid by taxpayer dollars, the governor and her staff have an obligation to operate with transparency and accountability to Iowans. Withholding records that should be subject to open records requests prevents citizens from understanding how decisions impacting their lives are being made behind closed doors. Keeping government actions hidden from public scrutiny erodes trust in our institutions. For our democracy to function properly, Governor Reynolds should immediately disclose these emails and cease attempting to conceal communications that rightfully belong in the public domain.