Opinion ID: 4537458
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: analysis

Text: [5] In enacting the public records statutes, the Legislature has determined that the welfare of the people is best served through liberal public disclosure of the records of the three branches of government. 6 Section 84­-712.01(1) defines public records in Nebraska: “[P]ublic records shall include all records and documents, regardless of physical form, of or belonging to this state, any county, city, village, political subdivision, or tax-supported district in this state, or any agency, branch, department, board, bureau, commission, council, subunit, or committee of any of the foregoing.” [6] The Legislature intended that courts liberally construe §§ 84-712 to 84-712.03 for disclosure “whenever any state . . . record of receipt [or] voucher, invoice, purchase order . . . or 2 State ex rel. Veskrna v. Steel, 296 Neb. 581, 894 N.W.2d 788 (2017). 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Aksamit Resource Mgmt. v. Nebraska Pub. Power Dist., 299 Neb. 114, 907 N.W.2d 301 (2018). 6 Id. - 788 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 305 Nebraska Reports STATE EX REL. BH MEDIA GROUP v. FRAKES Cite as 305 Neb. 780 expenditure involving public funds is involved.” 7 And it did so “in order that the citizens of this state shall have the full right to know of and have full access to information on the public finances of . . . the public bodies and entities created to serve them.” 8 Because the Legislature has expressed a strong public policy for disclosure, an appellate court must narrowly construe statutory exemptions shielding public records from disclosure. 9 [7,8] A person denied access to a public record may file for speedy relief by a writ of mandamus under § 84-712.03. 10 A party seeking a writ of mandamus under § 84-712.03 has the burden to satisfy three elements: (1) The requesting party is a citizen of the state or other person interested in the examination of the public records, (2) the document sought is a public record as defined by § 84-712.01, and (3) the requesting party has been denied access to the public record as guaranteed by § 84-712. 11 If the requesting party satisfies its prima facie claim for release of public records, the public body opposing disclosure must show by clear and conclusive evidence that § 84-712.05 or § 84-712.08 exempts the records from disclosure. 12