Proposed New Pennsylvania Public Records Law Draws Flack

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A proposed revision to Pennsylvania’s open-records law, considered one of the poorest in the nation, drew harsh criticism from some public access advocates after being approved by a key legislative committee. The bill would make all government records, other than those on a long list of exceptions, available to the public. It would require the government agency to justify denial of a request. But many feel the exemptions are too broad and are concerned about other provisions, including one that allows agencies to deny any request they consider “burdensome.” (10/19/07)