2007 Countdown: Top Story Number 5--PA Attempts to Change its Right to Know Law

This year, the biggest story at the state level, has been Pennsylvania's attempt to change its anti-requester friendly Right to Know law to a more disclosure friendly Open Records Law.  Unlike other states, this is more than just adding a few amendments to an open records bill that is already law.  This exercise is an attempt to replace a bill that says the public can't have records unless it fits into one of the categories that the government says they can have to a new bill that says records are public can have records unless they are otherwise exempt. 

The Right to Know Law became an issue in the 2006 election.  After the election, the legislature and the governor introduced changes they wanted to the Right to Know Law.

During the summer of 2007, the Pennsylvania Senate and the Pennsylvania House took up the task of changing the law.  Eventually, both passed changes and as of early December, both houses are working on a final version of the bill that can be sent to the governor.