Senate should pass open records reform

January 30, 2008 08:02 am

— It is not easy to monitor government agencies in Pennsylvania. The commonwealth's feeble Right-to-Know Law dictates that many government documents remain unavailable for public review. Taxpayers have suffered repeatedly because of it.
Change is near.
The Senate is poised to vote today on substantial reforms that will "flip the assumption" about whether documents should be considered public or secret.
The reforms included in Senate Bill 1 would make all government documents available to the public with only a few exceptions.
The legislation had been scheduled for a vote Tuesday. But Sen. John Gordner, R-27 of Berwick, said the vote was pushed back a day. The senator said he supports the effort to improve transparency because taxpayers should be able to see government function. Mr. Gordner is on target and residents can hope he and his colleagues approve the open records reform. They would improve access to records at the state and local levels. The proposed legislation would also make Penn State and other state-related universities subject to greater public scrutiny as well.
But the change would be most noticeable in Harrisburg. Local governments have displayed varying degrees of openness. Harrisburg's politicos have been among the most wary of public scrutiny. That fondness for back-room dealing has fed into public distrust. The senators can take a huge step toward restoring taxpayers' faith in state government. Residents will trust politicians and bureaucrats when they can see the fruits of their labor. The reforms under consideration would do just that. The Senate should approve the reforms so the governor can sign them into law.