Pennsylvania Governor Calls for Expanded Records Law, Public Advocate

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Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell announced proposal to open state government, including a broadening of the open records act and the establishment of a Public Records Advocate. Rendell said that since he became governor in 2003, nearly half of the information requests his office received have been denied because the current law is so narrow. He proposed making the public right to information presumptive and requiring agencies to demonstrate why a record should be withheld. (3/29/07)