A legal battle over the Star Tribune's effort to obtain records from a state-created insurance fund has moved to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Last month, the Star Tribune argued that records of the Minnesota Joint Underwriting Association are public because the insurer serves a public benefit.

The insurer refused to comply with a records request to provide data on specific providers and sued the paper. Ramsey County District Judge Margaret Marrinan ordered the insurer to provide the requested data, but the MJUA it has appealed that decision.

Last year, the Star Tribune reported that the insurer spent $32 million over the past decade to settle claims, including $12 million to resolve 169 claims against health care providers.