Wyoming Supreme Court sides with newspaper in records case involving state budget documents

Wyo. Supreme Court: Budget records should be open

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Supreme Court says Gov. Dave Freudenthal wrongly withheld draft budget documents from a Cheyenne newspaper last year.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle sued Freudenthal after he refused to release information about proposed state agency budget cuts. He said the information wasn’t public because it was part of the government’s “deliberative process.”

The state Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a state district judge’s decision that the budget information is public.

Tribune Eagle Executive Editor D. Reed Eckhardt applauded the court’s decision. Wyoming Attorney General Bruce Salzburg says he needs to review it before commenting.