OPINION: IPRA reform welcomed amid increasing requests

The City of Albuquerque processes more public records requests than some of the largest cities in the country. Los Angeles has a population of nearly 4 million within its city limits and the Los Angeles Police Department received 5,500 requests in 2024. Albuquerque has approximately 565,000 citizens within its city limits and the Albuquerque Police Department received 10,600 requests. Across all city departments, we received over 15,000 requests last year. This is almost triple what we received in 2017. This rise has strained staff and resources, making continued innovation a necessity to meet the demand.

With more public records requests than ever before, providing access to records has never been more challenging. Sunshine Week begins today, and here in New Mexico — and across the country — it’s a time to recognize both the importance of access to public records but also the increasing challenges facing the world of transparency.

Some requests are straightforward. For, example, a person may submit a request seeking a copy of a building permit or an animal welfare report. Many requests, however, are significantly more complicated. Law enforcement records, for example, often contain highly sensitive personal information, including cases involving children, victims of sex crimes or serious injuries. These materials require careful review and redaction to protect victim’s privacy. This review is necessary to uphold the dignity and privacy of those impacted while also ensuring public access to government records.

The ever-increasing volume of material responsive to some requests is another challenge. Requests can include dozens of hours of video footage, volumes of records and hundreds of photographs. Reviewing all this material while considering the significant dignity and privacy concerns does take time.

Transparency and privacy are not opposing forces — they work in tandem. The Office of the City Clerk remains dedicated to providing access to government records while respecting the privacy rights of individuals. While records custodians across the state work to navigate this increasingly fraught landscape, the Inspection of Public Records Act itself could use a tune up.

Kudos to sponsors Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, and Sen. Linda Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, for their thoughtful work crafting House Bill 283. The bill would update New Mexico's public records laws by defining “commercial purpose” and allowing public bodies to charge fees for records used commercially in specific instances. Commercial rates are not a novel concept and they exist in other state’s public records laws. The bill also creates a notice provision like the Open Meetings Act which would speed resolution of disputes about IPRA requests.

The Albuquerque Journal’s recent editorial acknowledged that records custodians are overwhelmed by data mining companies and YouTube video channels. The same editorial pushed for “scrapping the bill" and time is running out for HB283 to move forward. But dismissing reform outright only ensures an already overwhelmed system remains stuck in place. If the status quo isn’t working, then the conversation should be about how to improve it — not whether change is needed.

Modernizing our transparency laws requires more than calls to “scrap” the bill — it is a conversation which demands real engagement. Instead of tabling the discussion, we should work together to find real solutions that balance privacy and transparency while ensuring a system that is fair, efficient, and sustainable for the future.