passopenrecords.org

I know that everyone wants to focus on the feel-good news. We have a new open records bill, passed unanimously by the Senate and the House and signed with some – not a lot, but some – fanfare by the governor. And that’s fine.

But it doesn’t hurt to remember why we needed a new law in the first place . . . and why some people and organizations fought so hard to get one.

A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer and letter in the Patriot-News of Harrisburg remind us of two scandals that galvanized the public . . . and make us take note that one of those scandals remains a long way from resolution.

• More subpoenas issued over Harrisburg bonuses

A grand jury examining whether millions of dollars in government bonuses were given illegally to legislative aides as a reward for political campaign work recently issued a fresh round of subpoenas to House leaders.

The subpoenas seek records, including expense documents, and indicate that the investigation by Attorney General Tom Corbett known as “Bonusgate” is far from over as it enters its second year.
Spokesmen for Democrats and Republicans in the House confirmed yesterday that both caucuses received recent subpoenas.

[Tom Andrews, press secretary to Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene) and Steve Miskin, spokesman for the House Republicans] refused to discuss details of the subpoenas.

But sources have confirmed that some of the expenses sought by the grand jury were paid through special discretionary accounts controlled by legislative leaders and long derided by critics as unchecked slush funds.

Over the years, leaders tapped those accounts for such things as meals, consultants, polling, plane trips, and gifts to staffers.

• [The Patriot-News] has invested a great deal of time and resources in recent years looking into the irresponsible and wasteful spending practices at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). The reports uncovered millions of grant dollars squandered on bonuses, lavish retreats and silly promotional items like pom-poms and gummy brains.

Last year, I sponsored a bill (House Bill 1891) to end that wasteful spending and subject PHEAA and its affiliated agencies to the state’s Right-to-Know Law.

I am pleased to report that many of the goals outlined in my legislation have been achieved. First, PHEAA has suspended staff bonuses and ended the practice of extravagant employee retreats and spending on needless promotional items. Second, I was able to write language into our newly reformed Right-to-Know Law that subjects PHEAA and its foundations to the new law for the first time.

I applaud PHEAA’s board for their hard work in taking the necessary steps to rein in uncontrolled spending and manage the agency in the best interests of the students. Their work, coupled with that of the Legislature, will make PHEAA more open, accountable and helpful to students and families in Pennsylvania.

Josh Shapiro (D-Abington), Deputy Speaker of the House