AP Open Records Series
2008 NEWS ON OPEN GOVERNMENT ISSUES

V: Pa.'s new law improves state's access reputation

December 26, 2008 |
APlogo_h
Final installment in a five-part series of Associated Press stories on Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — It was a dubious distinction that may have done more than any other factor to produce a new Right-to-Know Law: Pennsylvania's long-standing reputation as one of the worst states when it comes to letting people know what their government is doing. Read More...

V: Q & A — Pa. law provides paper option for electronic files

December 26, 2008 |
Q: What if the public record I want is in electronic form, but I don't have access to a computer? Read More...

IV: In Pa., neglected records may mean longer waits

December 25, 2008 |
APlogo_h
Fourth in a five-part series of Associated Press stories on Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law.HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — In many government offices, records requests made under the state's new Right-to-Know Law may take longer than necessary to process because officials have not policed their files over the years and disposed of outdated records. Read More...

IV: Q & A — Can non-Pa. residents seek records under new law?

December 25, 2008 |
Q: Can I be denied a public record under Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law because I am not a Pennsylvania resident? Read More...

III: New Pa. law opens up government contractor records

December 24, 2008 |
APlogo_h
Third in a five-part series of Associated Press stories on Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Private businesses that do business with state and local governments in Pennsylvania are about to find themselves having to make some of their records available to the public. Read More...

III: Q & A — Will the Right-to-Know Law foster identity theft?

December 24, 2008 |
Q: Will Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law make it easier for someone to steal my identity? Read More...

II: Terry Mutchler: Right-to-know advocate and arbiter

December 23, 2008 |
APlogo_h
Second in a five-part series of Associated Press stories on Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law.
In high school, Terry Mutchler's tenacity could be measured in broken field-hockey sticks, including the time she broke her wooden stick in the heat of a game and had to use one belonging to her coach. Read More...

II: Q & A – What is the Pa. Office of Open Records?

December 23, 2008 |
Q: What is the Pennsylvania Office of Open  Records? Read More...

I: New Pa. open records law seen as key to public access

December 22, 2008 |
APlogo_h
First in a five-part series of Associated Press stories on Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Public-access advocates hope that widely shared frustration will subside after Jan. 1, when an overhaul of the state's Right-to-Know Law takes effect. The changes are expected to dramatically expand what people can find out about what goes on behind the scenes of the state and local governments. Read More...

I: Q & A — What makes new Pa. open-records law different?

December 22, 2008 |
Q: What is the major difference between Pennsylvania's old and new Right-to-Know laws? Read More...

I: Pa. Right-to-Know law contains 30 exceptions

December 22, 2008 |
Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law contains exceptions for 30 categories of records. Most do not apply to financial records or aggregated data, such as spreadsheets and databases. A summary of the exceptions: Read More...

I: How to file a Right-to-Know request under Pa. law 


December 22, 2008 |
Common questions and answers about how to file a request under Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law. Read More...

I: What's public and what's not under new Pa. law

December 22, 2008 |
Examples of information that the government must make available to the public under Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know Law, and examples of government information that will remain private: Read More...