Indiana has a new public records czar

Indiana has a new public records official.

Gov. Mike Braun announced attorney Jennifer Ruby as the state’s Public Access Counselor in a Friday statement. She starts her role Monday. 

“Transparency for Hoosiers is important for a healthy state government, and Jennifer Ruby brings decades of legal expertise to serve Hoosiers as Public Access Counselor,” Braun said in a statement. “She will do a great job promoting public trust through transparency and accountability.”

The Office of the Public Access Counselor was created by the Indiana General Assembly in 1999. The office provides guidance and advice on the state’s public records and open meetings laws. 

The counselor writes advisory opinions that interpret these laws after members of the public or agencies file a complaint related to public records laws.

Ruby started her own Indianapolis-based legal practice, where she oversees business operations and counsel for more than 800 clients. 

Ruby received her law degree from Indiana University’s McKinney School of Law. She also holds a master’s degree in planning from the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. 

An alumna of Purdue University, Ruby sat on an alumni advisory committee on biological sciences for more than 14 years. 

Ruby’s career also touched local government with a stint working for the City of Indianapolis and Marion County. 

In a statement, Ruby said she was honored to serve as counselor to “uphold the values of government transparency and accountability.”

“Public access is essential for effective governance, and I look forward to serving our state in this role,” Ruby said. 

Braun’s appointment is Indiana’s first new public access counselor in over a decade after Luke Britt stepped down in February. 

Britt told WFYI that his role ultimately changed when a legislative decision altered how his office operated last year. A Republican lawmaker introduced an amendment to a 2024 House bill, limiting the office’s ability to interpret the law broadly.

Following Britt’s resignation, former attorney general Steve Carter was interim public access counselor, according to Braun’s office. 

Contact WFYI Statehouse education reporter Rachel Fradette at rfradette@wfyi.org.