Opening the door for open records

The House Democratic Caucus' commitment to expanding Pennsylvania's open records law will move forward next week with several hours and possibly a few days of debate by the full House of Representatives.

This marks the first time in a decade that the full House will see any kind of discussion of open records. And, unlike the last 12 years, the legislation we're debating will not include a last-minute gut-and-replace all-encompassing amendment crafted by a few and rammed down the throats of the rest. The new Majority Democrats instead will hold open discussion and consideration of other lawmakers' amendments.

In the end, we believe that a compromise from thoughtful discussion among the House, the Senate and the governor's office will produce an open records law that is responsive to the needs of citizens while maintaining a level of privacy that people expect and deserve when communicating with their state legislator.

You can watch the debate live on our Web site, www.pahouse.com.