House Democrats steer open records bill to law

House Democrats worked for more than a year with the public and fellow lawmakers to strengthen Pennsylvania's open records law so that citizens can access more information about how their government works.  

Act 3 of 2008 represents a bipartisan, carefully crafted plan to change Pennsylvania's 50-year-old Right-to-Know Law. Pennsylvanians now have a law that:

• Assumes that all records are public and shifts the burden to the government to prove otherwise.
• For the first time includes the Pennsylvania legislature.
• Shows the public how their tax dollars are being spent by specifying that financial accountability applies to all three branches of government.
• Creates a state Office of Open Records to assist residents seeking public records, and create a uniform appeals process for people who may be denied access to records.