Reporter sues City of Albuquerque over public records request fees

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – A new class action lawsuit was filed Monday against the city, saying Albuquerque's policy of requiring citizens to pay per page for electronic public records requests, also known as IPRAs, is a violation. Arizona reporter Patrick Hayes, who previously worked in Albuquerque, filed the lawsuit, saying the city's policy of charging per-page fees was unlawful and costly.

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The lawsuit stems from an IPRA application Hayes filed in April 2023 that said the city charged him 50 cents per page for 474 pages of records. This resulted in a fee of $237, even though the documents were submitted electronically. The company representing Haynes said IPRA is designed to give people access to public records without financial burden. Under city law, the city can charge the actual cost of downloading and emailing files.

A city spokesperson sent this statement:

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