Pennsylvania open-records law, unchanged for 50 years, gets a big overhaul

Pennsylvania passed its Right to Know Law in 1957, and the state had not changed the open- records law since. Last week, Gov. Ed Rendell (in a photo from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association) signed Senate Bill 1, which overhauled the law and helped the state begin to "shed the unflattering distinction of having one of the worst records in the nation -- many believe it is the worst -- on providing access to government documents," reports Angela Couloumbis of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The new law makes all state and local government records public unless "specifically exempted," and it creates the Office of Open Records to handle disputes between the public and agencies, Couloumbis explains. Still, the law does not make 911 transcripts or autopsy reports public, two types of records that are available in many other states. "There is nothing in the bill that is unusually open or exotic, but it does call for good, solid, mainstream, ordinary transparency," Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, told Couloumbis.

Rendell echoed that sentiment during the signing ceremony, but said the new law was a clear improvement. "Is it a perfect bill? No. Is it a good bill? Absolutely," he said. "Is it a step on the road to reform? Without a doubt." (To watch Rendell's news conference after the signing ceremony, go here.) The new law goes into effect in January. (Read more)

The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association also praised the law. "In 2006 we rolled out anambitious legislative initiative, titled 'Brighter Pennsylvania,'" PNA President Tim Williams said in a news release. "Our goal was to improve Pennsylvania's open records law, which is widely regarded as one of the worst in the country, and expand citizens' access to government. Senate Bill 1 accomplishes a number of our goals." For more coverage of the legislation, including reaction from the state's newspapers, go here.