Missouri governor stands by open-records policy

(AP) Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s spokesman says his office will continue to shield certain contact information from public-record requests.

Spokesman Steele Shippy on Tuesday defended the practice following complaints from Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway.

At issue is the Republican governor’s response to public record requests made by The Kansas City Star and others. Parson’s office has cited the First Amendment in redacting phone numbers, addresses and emails of private citizens who contacted the governor.

The newspaper reports that Galloway requested that the state attorney general weigh in on whether Parson broke the law by making those redactions.

Parson’s office has argued that it’s an issue of free speech and that constituents wouldn’t contact elected officials if they believed that information might become public.

Shippy called Galloway’s criticism a “lame partisan political attempt.”