From The Republic:
SANTA FE, N.M. — Citizens have a right to access public records kept by an independent contractor on behalf of state or local governments in New Mexico, the state Court of Appeals ruled in a decision welcomed by open government advocates.
The court's ruling is important for preserving government transparency, particularly in an era when governments are privatizing many public services, Dolph Barnhouse, a lawyer for the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government said Monday.
At issue in the case was the reach of one of New Mexico's main governmental sunshine laws, the Inspection of Public Records Act.
New Mexico Foundation for Open Government is a member of NFOIC. — eds.