Supreme Court upholds Virginia information act that excludes non-residents
The US Supreme Court [official website] ruled unanimously Monday in McBurney v. Young [opinion, PDF; JURIST report] that Virginia has the right to exclude non-residents from accessing state records under its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) [text]. The court determined the law did not violate the Privileges and Immunities Clause [text] of Article IV of the US Constitution, as it did not burden any fundamental privilege or immunity. The court also found the information was not part of the interstate market and thus did not implicate the dormant commerce clause [Cornell LII backgrounder]. Justice Samuel Alito delivered the opinion, stating that the law does not implicate either constitutional provision, as Virginia "provides a service that is related to state citizenship." Petitioners allege that Virginia's citizens-only FOIA provision violates four different "fundamental"privileges or immunities: the opportunity to pursue a common calling, the…