ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A new class action lawsuit was filed against the city on Monday saying Albuquerque's policy of people having to pay per page for electronic public records requests, also known as IPRAs, is a violation. Arizona reporter Patrick Hayes, who previously worked in Albuquerque, filed the lawsuit saying the city's policy of charging per-page fees is unlawful and costly. Will New Mexico outnumber 2020 for absentee and early voting? Perhaps not. The lawsuit stems from an IPRA request submitted by Hayes in April 2023 saying the city charged him 50 cents per page for 474 pages of records. That resulted in a fee of $237 despite the records being given electronically. The company representing Haynes said IPRA was designed to give people access to public records without a financial burden. According to city law, the city may charge for the actual cost of downloading and sending files via email. A city spokesperson sent this statement: The City has not received this lawsuit; we will review it when we do. In general, the City does not charge per page for electronic files Staci Drangmeister, City of Albuquerque