Indiana Gov. Mike Pence vetoed a bill Thursday, March 24, that would have allowed private colleges like Notre Dame to keep their police department records private.

House Enrolled Act 1022 “would have allowed private universities’ police departments to have different standards for public records than public police departments,” Pence said in a statement.

“I have long believed in the public’s right to know and a free and independent press,” Pence said. “Limiting access to police records in a situation where private university police departments perform a government function is a disservice to the public and an unnecessary barrier to transparency.”

• RELATED: Indiana appeals court sides with ESPN in Notre Dame police records case, March 16, 2016