A few state FOIA and local open government news items selected from many of interest that we might or might not have drawn attention to earlier in the week:
Open budget application improves Palo Alto, Calif.’s accessibility
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Tag: Pennsylvania Right to Know law
Gov. Tom Corbett administration’s records denials called public ‘abuse’
From PennLive.com:
As a gubernatorial candidate, Tom Corbett vowed to provide “an open, transparent, accountable and trustworthy government.” Corbett said he was committed to “100 percent transparency throughout state government.”
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Open government should be on the record
How Open Records law would have stopped sex abuse sooner at Penn State
Opinion from Poynter:
The Freeh report on the Jerry Sandusky Penn State sex abuse scandal makes many recommendations on how the whole rotten mess might be avoided in the future, including transforming the very culture of the university. Sadly, the report fails to recommend a tangible key change that might have exposed the problems and protected children years ago.
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Pennsylvania destroying online court records
Pa. SC: Records for private companies can be public
From Legal Newsline:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that private companies — more specifically, those operating for "public benefit" — can be required to make their records public under the state's Right-to-Know Law.
In particular, the disclosure of any written concessionaire bids is required under the recently revamped law, the Court said in its May 29 ruling.
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Court rules Pa. records requests need not be perfect
From The Beaver County Times:
Public-records requests filed under Pennsylvania's Right to Know Law need not cite the law or satisfy other technicalities so long as they include the requester's name and address and enough information for government agencies to identify the records being sought, an appellate court panel ruled Monday.
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Court rules Pa. records requests must be considered
From York Daily Record:
HARRISBURG, Pa.—Public-records requests filed under Pennsylvania's Right to Know Law need not cite the law or satisfy other technicalities so long as they include the requester's name and address and enough information for government agencies to identify the records being sought, an appellate court panel ruled Monday.
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Lancaster County’s right-to-know policy may change
From Lancaster Online:
Lancaster County commissioners are scheduled to vote Wednesday on an updated right-to-know policy. The proposed policy varies only slightly from the current policy, but there are some changes and additions that formalize current practices not listed anywhere by the county, according to Crystal Clark, county solicitor.
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Pennsylvania and Delaware only states that exempt major universities from open records laws
From York Daily Record:
York, PA — Pennsylvania and Delaware are the only states in the nation to specifically exclude major universities from their state open records laws, according to some experts, though efforts are under way in both states to change that.
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