An Indiana public records fight went to court. The journalists (and the public) won.
When public records requests go unanswered, it’s the public that suffers.
Niki Kelly wanted to know how much money Indiana spends to buy the drugs they use to execute prisoners. She and her reporters at the Indiana Capital Chronicle had to sue the state to get the records. The court battle lasted an entire year.
In a 2025 column, the editor-in-chief of the nonprofit newsroom explained why she sued the Indiana Department of Correction, arguing that the basic cost of executions is no different from public records on the salary of a judge, the cost of a construction project, or how much state officials spend on travel. Public records allow citizens and journalists to hold those in power accountable to us, the people of Indiana. We can see how our government is spending money, who benefits and who is adversely impacted. Kelly pursued the records on executions so her readership could more clearly see what executions were costing the state.
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