Open-records hearing good next step

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October 10, 2007

Anonymous The Tribune-Democrat Wed Oct 10, 2007, 09:40 AM EDT

For years, the news media have been calling for changes in Pennsylvania’s open-records law.

Finally, the effort is gaining support in the Legislature, and both the House and Senate are expected to push through amendments this fall that would make more of your records available to you.

We appreciate the efforts of state Sen. Richard Kasunic, D-Dunbar, who will convene a public hearing on this critical issue today in Uniontown.

Kasunic’s district includes a portion of Somerset County.

Presenters will include the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, the County Commissioners Association and state Rep. Tim Mahoney, a Lebanon County Democrat who has supported greater access to public records.

“We feel that the best government is open government,” Kasunic aide Will Dando said from Harrisburg. “That means full open records, full accountability – at all levels of government, not just state government.”

Amen.

Newspapers, along with the PNA and other organizations, have been ringing the bell of access.

We are pleased that Kasunic and other lawmakers are now open to considering changes in our outdated and restrictive law.

The problem with the law in Pennsylvania is that the presumption is that information is not public, and you must prove that you should have access to that information.

What supporters in the House and Senate are pushing for is a rewording of the law such that the assumption will be that a record or a document is available for public scru-tiny.

The burden would be on an agency to prove, somehow, that the information in the record should be protected.

It’s not a perfect solution to the archaic system we have now, but it would be a big step in the right direction.

“This is a very important piece of legislation and the General Assembly needs to make sure we hear the concerns of the public before finalizing a bill,” Kasunic said in a news release. “I am looking forward to the hearing and the testimony we will be presented with.”

We urge members of the general public to attend this hearing to learn more about the importance of open records, or to voice their support for legislative change.

And we urge lawmakers in our region to vote for measures that would enhance public access to information.

It’s truly time to move Pennsylvania out of the dark ages.

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