OOR: RTK appeals up 89 percent since 2009
March 14, 2013 Right to Know Law
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (“OOR”) has faced an 89 percent increase in the number of appeals filed with it since 2009 under the Right-to-Know Law, Executive Director Terry Mutchler said Thursday when releasing Pennsylvania’s 2012 statistics.
“The annual report showcases the skyrocketing workload fueled in large part by the public’s increased attentiveness to the what, how, and why surrounding the actions of its government,” Mutchler said Thursday while releasing Pennsylvania’s newest statistics during national Sunshine Week. “It’s astounding that after four years of record highs, our caseload keeps increasing.”
The OOR is an independent quasi-judicial office that currently has 11 staff. Of those, six attorneys resolved all 2,188 appeals in 2012. The mission of the OOR is to implement the Right-to-Know Law, authored by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) and unanimously adopted by the Legislature in 2008.
In addition to adjudicating the nearly 2,200 appeals filed in 2012, the OOR fielded over 10,000 telephone calls and e-mail inquiries and participated or monitored nearly 170 cases in the Courts of Common Pleas, Commonwealth Court, and Supreme Court.
Additionally, the OOR has conducted nearly 800 trainings statewide since 2009 and responded to over 750 Right-to-Know Law requests filed with the OOR in 2012.
A snapshot of the report shows that 752 appeals were filed against state agencies and 1,436 appeals were filed against local agencies. Requestors sought, among other records, inspection reports of school cafeterias, cost information of agency investigations, information concerning how property tax assessments are determined, amounts spent on litigation and e-mails of government officials.
“The Right-to-Know Law and OOR remain strong and effective tools enabling citizens to maintain a transparent and accountable government,” Mutchler said.
She added that Pennsylvania continues to emerge as a national leader in open government as it now ranks as high as fifth in national transparency rankings.
