SENATORS DINNIMAN, WILLIAMS SAY GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC

Senators hold hearing on Pennsylvania’s Open Records Law

HAVERFORD, OCT. 12 – State Sens. Connie Williams and Andy Dinniman on Friday held a hearing to discuss Pennsylvania’s Open Records Law and how it can be improved to make government more open to the public.

At the hearing, Williams and Dinniman said their ultimate objective – and the objective of fellow Democratic state senators – is to approve an open records law that fully recognizes Pennsylvanians’ right to know what government is doing and how it’s spending their tax dollars.

“It’s the people’s government. To me that means people shouldn’t have to bear the burden of proving that certain records are public,” Dinniman said. “Unfortunately, that’s the way it is now under Pennsylvania’s current Open Records law.”

"Pennsylvania's citizens have every right to know what their government is doing and spending on their behalf," Williams said.

Testifiers at the hearing included Barry Kauffman of Common Cause, Deborah Musselman of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, Bridgette ReDavid of the News of Delaware County, Lora Lavin of the League of Women Voters, and H. Paul Fitzpatrick of the West Chester Borough Council.

In Ms. Lavin’s prepared testimony, she said the League of Women Voters “believes that democratic government depends upon informed and active participation in government and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, by holding open meetings and by making public records accessible.”

Offering the media’s perspective, Deborah Musselman of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association said, “What we seek is an acknowledgment that government records belong to the public, and a shift in the way our law and agencies consider access should be granted.”

Senators Williams and Dinniman said the testimony they heard at Friday’s hearing only bolstered the case for improved public access to government records.

"Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know law does need to be strengthened, but it is imperative that any amendments the state legislature offer to the law improve upon weaknesses in a way that ensures it better serves the needs of all Pennsylvanians," Williams said. "The expert testimony offered today provides valuable insight into not only the shortcomings of the law, but also some tangible solutions that we may look at as legislation is prepared to amend the law."

“As we heard over and over again at today’s hearing, Pennsylvania is not a shining example of a state that fully respects the public’s right to know,” Dinniman said. “Our aim is to change that.”

For more information, call Senator Dinniman’s office at 610-692-2112 or Senator Connie Williams’ office at 717-787-5544.