PNA calls for passage of SB 1
Feb 5th, 2008 by JamieB
Over the next couple of days, unless events overtake us — which well they might — we will run some different takes on the current state of the open-records debate as it is playing out in the legislature on the shifting sands beneath Senate Bill 1.
Please join in the discussion.
We lead off with an opinion piece from Tim Williams, president of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association:
Pennsylvania is on the verge of something remarkable. For the first time in many years, the state open records law, called the Right to Know Law, is close to being significantly improved.
Pennsylvania’s current open records law is widely regarded as one of the worst in the country. In a 2002 survey by the Better Government Association, it ranked 48th of the 50 states. But that may be about to change. On Wednesday, January 30th, the State Senate passed, in a 50-0 vote, Senate Bill 1, which would significantly improve access to government records. Next week, the House is expected to consider the Bill.
What would a new law mean for the average citizen? It depends. If you care about government spending and accountability, it could mean a lot.
The bill fundamentally changes the structure of Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law. It begins with the presumption that state and local agency records are open for public inspection and places the burden on a government agency denying access. For the first time since the Right to Know Law was passed in 1957, it will include the General Assembly and will give citizens the ability to appeal open records disputes to an administrative agency, the Office of Open Records, without the need to file a court action.
In August of 2006, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association launched Brighter Pennsylvania, a legislative initiative to improve Pennsylvania’s access laws. As part of the initiative, the PNA identified the following items as “must-haves” for open records reform:
Tim Williams
President, PNA