Daily Staff Writer

Iowa State Daily officials have asked District Court Judge Kurt Wilke to expand or modify his ruling against the paper’s Publication Board in a recent open records lawsuit filed by Partnership Press Inc., the parent company of The Ames Daily Tribune.

Late last month, Wilke ruled that the Daily is a governmental body subject to provisions of Iowa Code Chapter 22. In his ruling, Wilke said, “This court finds that based on the evidence, a significant amount of the Publication Board’s financial support, whether it be free rent, utilities or benefits, derives from property tax revenues.”

Among other things, attorneys for the Daily argue in a motion filed Monday that the Daily does not receive property tax money because Iowa State is not funded with property tax dollars. And even if there is a connection between the university and property tax money, Daily lawyer Jeff Stein said Monday, the only direct money the Daily receives from the university is through the Government of the Student Body.

GSB money comes from student fees, not property tax, Stein said. The university does provide the Daily with free rent and utilities, among other things. The Daily also buys into the university’s employee benefits programs for the paper’s professional staff.

Daily officials also argue in the motion that the ruling could adversely affect the news gathering and reporting operations of the Daily.

“[The ruling] deprives the students who produce the newspaper of constitutional protections they would otherwise enjoy regarding protection of confidential news sources and those of unpublished material falling within judicially recognized ‘reporters notes’ categories,” the motion states.

The Publication Board has not decided yet whether to appeal the original ruling. Wilke’s decision on Monday’s motion could help board members make a decision. The board isn’t scheduled to take up the matter until its April 23 meeting.