|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State
Rep. Tim Mahoney |
|
Mahoney's landmark open records bill closer to law
HARRISBURG, Feb. 11 – State Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fayette, said open records language he introduced is included in a Senate bill that the state House today and sent to the Senate, where it is expected to be passed and sent to the governor for his signature tomorrow.
Mahoney said the legislation would significantly improve Pennsylvania's Open Records Law.
The bill would give Pennsylvania residents more access to state and local government records, and creates an agency to help the public access those records. Shortly after taking office, Mahoney spearheaded efforts to pass open records legislation as part of larger legislative reforms being undertaken this session.
"I am very proud of this legislation because it represents months of deliberation and input from all groups concerned about open records," Mahoney said. "The people of Pennsylvania will no longer be stonewalled when they attempt to access public records. This legislation represents a new atmosphere of openness and transparency."
Mahoney said the new open records legislation would exempt far fewer documents from public scrutiny, and impose stricter open records enforcement, making it much stronger than the current law.
It also would place a presumption in state law that the records of all branches of government at the state and local level -- including the state legislature -- are public, unless specifically exempted in other state or federal law. Currently in Pennsylvania, the burden is on the requester to establish that a particular record is "public."
The legislation also would create an Office of Open Records in the Department of Community and Economic Development to help residents of Pennsylvania access public records and establish a uniform appeals process for residents who are denied access to records.
In June, the House Speaker's Commission on Legislative Reform unanimously recommended 33 legislative reforms, including Mahoney's proposal that state and local records should be presumed open to public review. Mahoney is the lone freshman Democrat on the reform commission.
###rrc/2008/cz
l:\print\releases\senatebillone.051
|
CONTACT: Roseann R. Cadau |