Pennsylvania has one of the worst open records laws in the country. Improving it should be easy. You would think.
Wrong.
"Reforms" approved by the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee on Wednesday would actually make the open records law worse, newspaper industry lobbyists said.
Newspaper association officials told The Associated Press "the Legislature went to such lengths in trying to keep its own contacts with the public secret that the draft bill foreclosed access to many records that are available under the existing law."
Among its problems, the bill covers new records but does not open documents that are now secret.
Those in the press are not the only critics of the turnabout. The legislation underwent drastic revisions before the committee hurriedly approved it.
Rep. Mike Vereb, R-150 of West Norriton, called the process "a travesty."
The warts are unfortunate because the bill would make important changes.
The actual reforms would switch the baseline presumption. Records would be open unless there is an explicit exception. Bureaucrats would also be required to justify their decisions if they determined records should be secret.
The legislation would also create an office in the State Ethics Commission to handle access disputes.
After months of pushing for greater openness, advocates greeted this week's development glumly but without surprise.
A blogger on www.passopenrecords.org wrote that politicians had promised real reform. The lip service was greeted by hope tempered by doubt. Similar pledges have been made before without leading to real change.
This week Pennsylvania politicians danced the familiar steps. Pledge reform, then shut the door. It is business as usual in Harrisburg.
