Partnership Press, Inc., owner of the Ames Daily Tribune, has filed a lawsuit against the Iowa State Daily Publications Board.

The lawsuit, filed Monday morning in Story County District Court, alleges that Daily officials have failed to comply with Iowa open meetings and open records laws.

Through its lawyer, Partnership Press requested on Nov. 8 extensive financial, marketing and advertising information from the Daily as well as records detailing the Daily’s relationship with the university.

Jeff Stein, the Daily’s lawyer, said the Daily will release all information required under the law. He said the requested information has not yet been released because the Daily office had been closed for more than a week and both he and Janette Antisdel, the Daily’s general manager, have been ill recently.

“[The lawsuit] is premature,” Stein said. “Under the law we have a period of time to prepare the documents and examine what we should release. I think they’ve jumped the gun.”

Antisdel was also surprised by the suit.

“It’s always been the intent of the Daily that we will voluntarily comply with open records laws,” she said. “The board has every intention to comply, but we don’t want to proceed with haste.”

Antisdel said the requested records have taken a while to assemble. With the Daily office closed for the Thanksgiving break, she added, she and Stein have not had time to fully examine the request.

Stein’s written reply to Melissa Shafter, the Partnership Press lawyer, says she “will have a full and formal answer” to the request within 24 hours. The reply was dated Nov. 15.

Stein said not all of the requested information will be voluntarily released. “They requested some information that clearly Iowa law does not require us to release.” For example, Stein said, the Daily’s marketing plans and advertising rates are not public information.

Stein said he anticipated a lawsuit over the Daily’s refusal to release “competitive” information. “There would have been [a lawsuit] one way or the other. This may even help resolve the matter more quickly.”

The lawsuit is the latest in an apparent advertising battle between the Tribune and the Daily. Both papers produce weekly publications targeted at the ISU faculty and staff, both called University Times.

Shafter referred all questions to Tribune Publisher Gary Gerlach. Attempts to reach Gerlach Monday afternoon were unsuccessful.