A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the South Dakota Board Of Regents regarding state university employees’ salaries on January 7, 2025. The request was made by us at Rushmore State News, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The request was made under the South Dakota Sunshine Law, §1-27-1 et seq., and specifically asked for a list of all university employees’ compensation with the following fields: Name, Title, Work Email, University Name, Employment Type, and Compensation Amount.
As a media organization dedicated to gathering and reporting news to the public, access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
This request forms part of our ongoing commitment to ensure transparency and accountability within public institutions. We will continue our work in providing comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs in South Dakota.
