Open records office says budget cuts would set it back
By NICHOLE DOBO
[York] Daily Record/Sunday News
The state's new Office of Open Records is on pace to see about 1,000 open records denial appeals this year.
More appeals are expected to be filed next year, as people become more familiar with the law, said Barry Fox, deputy director of the open records office.
But it's looking like the office is going to have its $1.3 million budget request cut by about $335,000, something that Fox says will hurt the ability of the new agency to fulfill its mission. The office has asked to get that money back in budget proposals. If it's not there, the office won't function properly and appeal requests might not be heard within the 30-day deadline.
"We would be getting back to the old law," Fox said.
Before the law changed, those who were denied records by a state or local agency had one option: go to court. The new law presumes more records are open and created the office of open records, which rules on appeals.
It's been a difficult budget year because of the recession, and the General Assembly and governor have failed to pass a budget by the June 30 deadline, making Pennsylvania one of three states without a spending plan.
"Despite the governor's commitment to a more transparent government, the reality is that there isn't any aspect of the government that is immune from budget cuts," said Chuck Ardo, a spokesman for Gov. Ed Rendell.
Should the open records office get its budget cut, it would need to trim two of its nine employees, Fox said. Since the office is still developing, this cut would dramatically impact its progress, he said. For instance, if appeals aren't ruled on by the 30-day deadline, they are deemed denied, according to the law, and the requestor would have to challenge it in court.
And the people impacted by that would mostly be regular people -- not the media or businesses, Fox said. About 90 percent of the appeals filed have come from people seeking information. Less than 50 of the 646 appeals have been from reporters, he said.
"People think this is a media issue -- it's not," Fox said.
H. William DeWeese, D-Greene County and the House majority whip, supports keeping the funding level for the office. He called the right-to-know legislation the most important work done by the General Assembly last year.
Fully funding the open records office would mean greater transparency, DeWeese said, which would mean more eyes watching for wasteful government spending.
"The searing challenge of the current funding crisis lends itself very appropriately to an enhancement of open records," he said.
[York] Daily Record/Sunday News
The state's new Office of Open Records is on pace to see about 1,000 open records denial appeals this year.
More appeals are expected to be filed next year, as people become more familiar with the law, said Barry Fox, deputy director of the open records office.
But it's looking like the office is going to have its $1.3 million budget request cut by about $335,000, something that Fox says will hurt the ability of the new agency to fulfill its mission. The office has asked to get that money back in budget proposals. If it's not there, the office won't function properly and appeal requests might not be heard within the 30-day deadline.
"We would be getting back to the old law," Fox said.
Before the law changed, those who were denied records by a state or local agency had one option: go to court. The new law presumes more records are open and created the office of open records, which rules on appeals.
It's been a difficult budget year because of the recession, and the General Assembly and governor have failed to pass a budget by the June 30 deadline, making Pennsylvania one of three states without a spending plan.
"Despite the governor's commitment to a more transparent government, the reality is that there isn't any aspect of the government that is immune from budget cuts," said Chuck Ardo, a spokesman for Gov. Ed Rendell.
Should the open records office get its budget cut, it would need to trim two of its nine employees, Fox said. Since the office is still developing, this cut would dramatically impact its progress, he said. For instance, if appeals aren't ruled on by the 30-day deadline, they are deemed denied, according to the law, and the requestor would have to challenge it in court.
And the people impacted by that would mostly be regular people -- not the media or businesses, Fox said. About 90 percent of the appeals filed have come from people seeking information. Less than 50 of the 646 appeals have been from reporters, he said.
"People think this is a media issue -- it's not," Fox said.
H. William DeWeese, D-Greene County and the House majority whip, supports keeping the funding level for the office. He called the right-to-know legislation the most important work done by the General Assembly last year.
Fully funding the open records office would mean greater transparency, DeWeese said, which would mean more eyes watching for wasteful government spending.
"The searing challenge of the current funding crisis lends itself very appropriately to an enhancement of open records," he said.
