The New Jersey state appeals court ruled that the state’s public records laws were available to any U.S. citizen. The panel concluded that the word “citizens” applied to the public nationwide not just New Jersey residents. (NJ.com, May 19, 2018, by Christopher Baxter of NJ Advance Media)
The U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on the issue in 2013 when they ruled unanimously that public records laws in Virginia could bar out-of-state citizens from obtaining government records. The court found “no constitutional right to obtain all the information provided by FOIA laws.” Reporters working across state lines find it difficult to do their job without access to records. (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, April 2013, by Aaron Mackey)