|
|
|
Pennsylvania FOI Coalition launches siteHARRISBURG, PA—A group formed to help Pennsylvania citizens obtain public information has launched a Website featuring the Pennsylvania Open Government Forum, where people can post questions and get answers about accessing their local government and the state. The Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Coalition (PaFOIC) web site, at http://www.openrecordspa.org/, also features updates on open government legislation and news, a “how to” guide to submitting requests for public records, links to the Right to Know policies of state agencies, and the complete texts of Pennsylvania's Right to Know Law and Sunshine Act.
"We want to be the best source for 'Right to Know' information and assistance in Pennsylvania," said Gayle C. Sproul, an attorney who is president of the PaFOIC. The nonprofit organization was founded by journalists, librarians, attorneys, educators and community group leaders interested in improving access to government in the state. Pennsylvania has consistently been ranked one of the states with weakest protections for citizen access to public records and meetings. Those registering on the PaFOIC's PA Open Government Forum may post questions, share their experiences and comments, and get answers from the group's open-government experts on how to get public records and keep meetings open to the public. The coalition will help citizens obtain legal representation in open-government cases of statewide importance. The group also monitors proposed state and federal laws, regulations and court decisions and provides information to state officials to encourage discussion of open government changes in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Coalition is accepting memberships to support its work, with annual tax-deductible dues ranging from $25 for individuals to $1,000 for large businesses. Visitors to the Web site may join online. Funds will be used to support the website, launch a PaFOIC Speakers Bureau, and to print and distribute materials, such as a 16-page booklet called “Open Records: A Citizens' Guide” which will be published this month. In addition to Sproul, the coalition board members include: Vice President Robert Richards of Penn State University's Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment; Secretary Donald Gilliland, managing editor of the Potter Leader-Enterprise in Coudersport; treasurer Kim de Bourbon, a freelance journalist; Cathi Alloway, public services director of the Dauphin County Library; Robert Clothier, an attorney with Fox Rothschild in Philadelphia; Jim DePury, news director for WPMT-Fox 43 in central Pennsylvania; Sally Hale, chief of the Pennsylvania bureau of the Associated Press; Brian Lockman, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Cable Network; Jim Parsons, reporter for WTAE Channel 4 in Pittsburgh, and Ernest Schreiber, editor of the Lancaster New Era. |
|