Hello, blog readers and fellow supporters of government transparency and accountability, As the newly appointed Executive Director I am honored to lead such a vital office in Pennsylvania. We should be eternally grateful for the work of my predecessor, Erik Arneson. From his critical involvement in the drafting the Right to Know Law to leading … Continue reading Greetings from Liz Wagenseller, Executive Director
Today (Mon., Jan. 11, 2021) at 2 p.m., I will host a webinar about the Right-to-Know Law designed for requesters, including members of the media and anyone interested in accessing government records in Pennsylvania. This webinar will be held via Zoom. You can find all the details you need to join on the OOR’s training … Continue reading Today at 2 p.m. – RTKL Webinar for Requesters
The OOR’s Citizens’ Guide to the Right-to-Know Law and Sunshine Act is an introduction to these two laws, both of which promote government transparency. The Citizens’ Guide has been completely rewritten and the new version is available now. The RTKL, also known as the open records law, grants access to public records. The Sunshine Act, … Continue reading New Citizens’ Guide to the RTKL and Sunshine Act
The Office of Open Records has posted two new draft sample forms and is seeking public comment on both. The Right-to-Know Law and other statutes make various records public, including certain records from law enforcement agencies and county coroners. The OOR often dockets appeals involving these types of records. In an effort to help these … Continue reading 2 New Draft Sample Forms for Public Comment
Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law gives county District Attorneys the responsibility of appointing an appeals officer to decide RTKL appeals “relating to access to criminal investigative records in possession of a local agency of that county.” District Attorneys have been doing this since the RTKL went into effect at the start of 2009. Until now, there has … Continue reading OOR to Post Final Determinations from District Attorneys
I’m exited to announce that the Office of Open Records will soon start sending a new email newsletter called Court Filings Update — and you you can sign up for it now. The newsletter will be sent regularly, generally multiple times each week, and it will include information about appeals and associated documents filed in … Continue reading Court Filings Update – New Email Newsletter
The first post was made to this Office of Open Records blog on June 25, 2015. Since then, as executive director of the OOR, I’ve posted here about a wide variety of topics related to the OOR, court decisions, legislation, RTKL training resources, and much more. Pageviews on this blog have been relatively consistent through … Continue reading Pageviews on OOR Blog Surged in 2020
The Office of Open Records has posted an updated draft of its regulations. The current draft regulations, the previous draft regulations, and information about the regulations and the regulatory process can be found here.
The Court of Common Pleas in Westmoreland County recently ordered officials from the City of Monessen to attend Sunshine Act training provided by the Office of Open Records. In the opinion and order, Judge Harry F. Smail, Jr., discussed a public meeting held by the City at which “there was absolutely no opportunity for public … Continue reading Court Orders Sunshine Act Training
Earlier this month, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit published an interesting decision related to accessing information in government databases. The decision, in the case of The Center for Investigative Reporting v. United State Department of Justice, held that “the use of a query to search for and extract a particular … Continue reading Federal Court Decision (FOIA) on Information in Databases
| Docket | Date | Title | County | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20210294 | 03/02/2021 | Nik Hatziefstathiou and Original Media v. Lower Merion Township | Montgomery | Dismissed: Incomplete |
| 20210269 | 03/01/2021 | John Yakim v. Pitcairn Borough | Allegheny | Denied |
| 20210248 | 03/01/2021 | Rachel Heimann v. Pennsylvania Office of the Lieutenant Governor | Commonwealth | Dismissed: Premature |
| 20210247 | 03/01/2021 | Joseph Leschinskie and n/a v. Shamokin City | Northumberland | Withdrawn |
| 20210197 | 03/01/2021 | Tyrone Martin v. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections | Commonwealth | Partially Granted/Partially Denied |
| 20210196 | 03/01/2021 | Charles Hoyer v. Dauphin County | Dauphin | Dismissed: Untimely |
| 20202745 | 03/01/2021 | Timothy Browne and Local Union #98, I.B.E.W. v. Upper Merion Area School District | Montgomery | Consolidated |
| Date | Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| March 3, 2021, 10:00 AM | Laws That Protect Information | |
| March 10, 2021, 10:00 AM | Records Management and Electronic Records Best Practices Webinar | |
| March 29, 2021, 5:00 PM | Pennsylvania State University, Community and Campus Unity | |
| April 28, 2021, 12:00 PM | PSAB Right-to-Know Law for Law Enforcement Webinar | |
| June 23, 2021, 12:00 PM | PSAB Webinar: Laws that Protect Information | |
| October 13, 2021, 12:00 PM | PSAB Open Records Law Webinar |
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