Opinion ID: 1591641
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Overview of the MGDPA

Text: All state agencies are required to make and preserve all records necessary to a full and accurate knowledge of their official activities. Minn.Stat. § 15.17, subd. 1 (2002). Under subdivision 4 of section 15.17, access to these records is governed in relevant part by section 13.03 of the MGDPA. Section 13.03 provides in part: Upon request to a responsible authority or designee, a person shall be permitted to inspect and copy public government data at reasonable times and places   .     If the responsible authority or designee determines that the requested data is classified so as to deny the requesting person access, the responsible authority or designee shall inform the requesting person of the determination    and shall cite the specific statutory section, temporary classification, or specific provision of federal law on which the determination is based. Minn.Stat. § 13.03, subd. 3 (2002). The MGDPA establishes a presumption that government data are public and are accessible by the public for both inspection and copying unless there is federal law, a state statute, or a temporary classification of data that provides that certain data are not public. Minn.Stat. § 13.01, subd. 3 (2002). But section 13.02 then defines two categories of nonpublic data that are relevant here: Subd. 3. Confidential data on individuals means data which is made not public by statute or federal law applicable to the data and is inaccessible to the individual subject of that data.     Subd. 13. Protected nonpublic data means data not on individuals which is made by statute or federal law applicable to the data (a) not public and (b) not accessible to the subject of the data. Minn.Stat. § 13.02, subds. 3, 13 (2002). The Westroms do not base their claims on these definitions directly because each definition would appear to not apply to orders and objections that are, by necessity, accessible to the subjects of an investigation. But the Westroms argue that these definitions are supplemented and, in a sense, overridden by Minn.Stat. § 13.39 (2002), which specifically addresses the topic of civil investigative data. That section provides: Subdivision 1. A pending civil legal action includes but is not limited to judicial, administrative or arbitration proceedings. Whether a civil legal action is pending shall be determined by the chief attorney acting for the state agency, political subdivision or statewide system. Subd. 2. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), [1] data collected by state agencies, political subdivisions, or statewide systems [2] as part of an active investigation [3] undertaken for the purpose of the commencement or defense of a pending civil legal action, or which are retained in anticipation of a pending civil legal action, are classified as protected nonpublic data pursuant to section 13.02, subdivision 13, in the case of data not on individuals and confidential pursuant to section 13.02, subdivision 3, in the case of data on individuals. Any agency, political subdivision, or statewide system may make data classified as confidential or protected nonpublic pursuant to this subdivision accessible to any person, agency or the public if the agency, political subdivision, or statewide system determines that the access will aid the law enforcement process, promote public health or safety or dispel widespread rumor or unrest. (Emphasis added.) Thus, the Westroms argue that section 13.39 prohibits the release of civil investigative data by deeming it to be protected nonpublic data or confidential data, unless such release is expressly determined to be appropriate to aid law enforcement, promote public health or safety, or dispel widespread rumor or unrest. DOLI made no express determination of a need to release the data under section 13.39 and does not attempt to justify the release of the orders and objections on that basis. The question then is whether the orders and objections were civil investigative data, which requires review of the three highlighted elements of such data: (1) data collected by a state agency, (2) as part of an active investigation, (3) undertaken for or in anticipation of a pending civil action.