All of the members of the Honesdale Borough Council were found guilty Tuesday of violating the state's Sunshine Law. Read More…

Luzerne County Manager Robert Lawton has changed an open-records policy, and the county now will provide electronic copies of emails on discs. The county refused to provide electronic copies of emails under a prior policy and only would provide copies of emails on paper. Read More…

Before any citizens had a chance to talk about filling an elementary music instructor vacancy, Ellwood City School Board President Anthony Buzzelli told the group that it had to designate a single spokesperson, and that no other comments would be accepted. According to an attorney for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, that violates not only the state’s Sunshine Law, but First Amendment constitutional provisions for free speech and expression of grievances. Read More…

The proposal for a public meeting every business day in Northumberland County to protect the commissioners from possible Sunshine Law violations is impractical and, in fact, may further harm the intent of the law. Read More…

SUNBURY — Accusations against the county for violating the Sunshine Act and conducting business "behind closed doors" has prompted one commissioner to recommend holding public meetings every business day of the year. Read More…

Allentown City Council may have violated the state's Sunshine Act when it barred the public from commenting on the city's proposed water and sewer lease at a meeting last week, a decision that prompted a clash with residents. Read More…

Range Resources has appealed the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records denial of the gas drilling company’s request for Cecil Township to turn over records. Range believes the records would prove supervisors violated the state Sunshine Act by holding unadvertised meetings and making decisions behind closed doors. Read More…

The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors verified to a Bradford Township supervisor that an employee hired without all three supervisors being notified of the interview and hiring process is in violation of compliance with the Sunshine Law and that person is not officially a township employee. Read More…

The First Amendment protects our free speech from government control, punishment or interference — but when public officials speak freely through private e-mail accounts or mobile phones, are they free to ignore freedom of information laws? Read More…

Two Central Dauphin School Board members shared their insights Tuesday night during a Citizens for Central Dauphin Schools’ meeting on Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act. Now, the founder of the citizens’ group — who previously questioned whether the board could be violating the act by having executive sessions before every school board meeting — said he’s more confident officials are operating appropriately. Read More…

SUNBURY — A lawsuit filed by a Coal Township man against two Northumberland County commissioners and the county for limiting public comment at meetings to two minutes has been moved from the Court of Common Pleas to federal court. Read More…

This week’s winner of the “Keep the public in the dark award” goes to ... the very private Bristol Borough School Board. If it comes as a surprise to borough taxpayers that the board has reached agreement on a new contract for teachers — a rather lengthy and perhaps costly deal taxpayers will fund — it’s because the board chose not to inform the public ... not until school board members were ready to vote on the contract.
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A Lower Paxton Township resident is concerned the Central Dauphin School Board could be violating Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act by routinely having executive sessions before school board meetings. Read More…

The fired director of the York City Human Relations Commission has filed a civil suit against the agency's acting chairman, alleging a series of Sunshine Act violations she says began the day she was placed on paid administrative leave Read More…

The fired director of the York City Human Relations Commission has filed a civil suit against the agency's acting chairman, alleging a series of Sunshine Act violations she says began the day she was placed on paid administrative leave. Read More…

SAYRE — The media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association is questioning the minute-taking policy of the Sayre Borough Planning Corrlmission and whether its policy is compliant with what is required under Pennsylvania's Sunshine Law. Read More…

MEADVILLE — A change to requests in advance to be placed on the agenda and two sessions of public comment with a lengthier time for individual comment are among changes in a new draft of public comment guidelines for the Crawford County Board of Commissioners’ meetings. Read More…

That pesky Sunshine Act really makes things difficult for the people would prefer to discuss the use of public money in private. Read More…

This week, March 10-16, is Sunshine Week. This is not about solar power or alternative energy or even a celebration of the fact that we saw sustained temperatures in the 50s this past weekend in the Lebanon Valley. No, in this case, Sunshine Week refers to government openness and specifically, the public's right not only to the expectation of such openness but to the reality of it as well.
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Four years ago, Pennsylvania's new "Right to Know Law" went into effect and gave citizens more access to government records of all kinds. Much of the state and local government, however, still operates in the shadows, and many documents that are routinely part of the public record in other states are still off limits here " — or officials act as though they are. Read More…

An advocate for the state sunshine laws considers it "problematic" that West York shredded proposals it received from two area police departments. Read More…

Franklin County and a news media attorney have differing opinions on whether the meetings of a newly created advisory committee are open to the public. Read More…

MEADVILLE — As the deadline draws near for written public comment on proposed guidelines for public participation at weekly work sessions and twice-monthly meetings of Crawford County commissioners, the only written responses have come from two other county officials — District Attorney Francis Schultz and Sheriff Nick Hoke — and not the public at large. Read More…

WILKES-BARRE – Robert Corcoran’s disembodied head sat idly on the edge of the conference table courtesy of a laptop and an Internet Skype connection. Corcoran – or a least his image – waited more than 20 minutes as the rest of the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board decided if he could legally participate from his new home in Germany Read More…