Posted in Open Records on Jan 22nd, 2008 No Comments »
Here are some of the concerns recently raised about the pending open records bill by Tim Potts of Democracy Rising Pa.
• Enforcement. There are two concerns: 1) the penalties for violating the law, and 2) the costs when citizens must go to court to obtain public records.
The best open records laws create both civil and […]
Posted in Open Records on Jan 21st, 2008 No Comments »
“PassOpenRecords.org asks if letters from Governor Rendell promising state funds to a variety of projects would be considered open records. They are looking for readers to comment on that question….”
First a quick review:
• Here’s what Gov. Ed Rendell said: “I have no problem if these become open records in a new law. . . […]
Posted in Open Records on Jan 18th, 2008 2 Comments »
Rendell Reveals Secret Funding Letters; Proposed Open Records Bill May Be Misnamed
Peter L. DeCoursey of Capitolwire.com broke the intriguing story headlined above this week about a series of letters that Gov. Ed Rendell has sent to various organizations in which he promised money for projects . . . on the condition that the Legislature subsequently […]
Posted in Open Records on Jan 17th, 2008 No Comments »
Let’s continue our discussion of some specific concerns about Senate Bill 1. As always, please weigh in with your thoughts. In the three provisions below, anything in capital letter was added by the House just before the Christmas break.
• Section 301 (b) (page 12, lines 25-6). Prohibition – A Commonwealth agency may not deny […]
Posted in Open Records on Jan 16th, 2008 No Comments »
and other reasons we need open records reform.
• From the Herald-Standard in Uniontown
“If we had had an open records law (covering the legislature), this [bonusgate] probably would not have happened.” Those words come, not from a good government or media advocacy group, but from the House majority leader [Rep. Bill DeWeese, D-Greene].
Turns out the situation […]
Posted in Open Records on Jan 16th, 2008 No Comments »
…And, ironically, the content? According to WTAE reporter Bob Mayo, the memo is advice from the city’s legal counsel on how the ethics board should comply with the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act.
Honestly, I’m not making it up. Check out the report on WTAE’s website, or read about the debacle in full from […]
Posted in Citizen Stories on Jan 15th, 2008 No Comments »
Yesterday, we shared a letter from Michael Berry, an attorney with Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz, L.L.P. in Philadelphia, about why 911 tapes should fall under the presumption of openness in Senate Bill 1.
Berry’s three main points — (1) that 911 tapes are a critical and powerful way for the public to assess the performance […]
Posted in Open Records on Jan 14th, 2008 No Comments »
The Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment at Penn State has launched the “Open Records Clearinghouse Project” to help reporters across the state with public information and access challenges. The project will compile information from reporters and track the performance of state agencies in regard to Right-to-Know requests.
• Meanwhile, the Morning Call of Allentown adds […]
Posted in Open Records on Jan 14th, 2008 No Comments »
For many people, the idea of making 911 tapes accessible to the general public is repugnant. After all, many of these tapes are made when people are at their most exposed and most vulnerable. They often record scenes that are heartbreakingly sad, horrifically scary or deeply personal.
Without question, the privacy of victims in such […]
Posted in Open Records on Jan 12th, 2008 No Comments »
The following letter from Rep. Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) appeared in Friday’s Delaware County Daily Times and Philadelphia Inquirer:
When I was a prosecutor in Philadelphia, I followed a simple formula when it came to sharing information with the defense: Whether the information hurt my case or not, I turned it over. In our system of public […]