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(Des Moines, IA) -- A proposal increasing penalties for violations of open records laws is making its way through the state legislature. House File 706 would also require newly elected officials to take training on such laws and would require the Iowa Public Information Board to provide one free course. The bill's sponsor, State Rep. Gary Mohr (R-Bettendorf), says he introduced the bill because of how Davenport officials responded to the 2023 collapse of an apartment building which left three dead.
"Since that time almost two years ago...city building inspection reports prior to the collapse have continued to be withheld from public view," Mohr says. "Did city inspections indicate a potential collapse? We don't know. Should the building have been vacated as unsafe for occupancy? We don't know. Was the building owner notified of changes that needed to be made to the structure? We don't know...We do know that Davenport residents who filed Freedom of Information Act requests have not only been denied public access to these public records, but they themselves have been sued by the city."
The bill passed the House with bipartisan support, and Davenport representatives across the aisle also spoke on the issue. That includes State Rep. Daniel Gosa (D-Davenport).
"We need to hold our mayor and city council accountable," Gosa says. "They do have some things to answer for and we've been dealing with this for a long time. I dealt with it when I was on the school board."
The bill increases the fine for violations to between $500 and $2,000. The range for knowingly violating the law would be increased to $1,000-$2,500. A similar bill passed through both chambers in 2024, but it was vetoed by Governor Kim Reynolds due to additions to it in the process.
"This is a laudable goal and one that I hope the Legislature will continue to pursue," her veto read in part.
The 2025 version is now onto the Iowa Senate for further consideration.