News & Brews December 20, 2024
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Pa. Open Records Office releases survey
If you love Right-to-Know requests, you’ll be interested in this. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records has released its 2024 survey of open records officers. The survey covered topics such as how much staff time is spent responding to Right-to-Know requests, how many requests (on average) agencies receive, and who (by category) is filing requests. A couple interesting points stood out. First, reporters account for just 3% of Right-to-Know requests filed. This jives with other info I’ve seen showing how infrequently most members of the media (with few exceptions) actually try to force government to be transparent. Second, the majority of agencies average fewer than one request per week. Third, some open records officers want to ban so-called “vexatious requesters,” including those whom the government deems submit too many requests. Of course, if we’re going to have that conversation, we should also talk about firing “vexatious deniers,” who are government open records officers who repeatedly deny access to public information.
Court considering if lawmaker-lobbyist emails subject to Right-to-Know
And speaking of Right-to-Know requests, a case concerning whether emails between lawmakers and lobbyists are subject to the state’s Right-to-Know law is now before the Commonwealth Court. Spotlight PA reports, “The case could, for the first time, result in the public gaining access to emails between the legislators who make laws and the lobbyists who try to influence them.” The case stems from a request that Spotlight made to the Pa. Senate, which denied the request, “asserting that emails do not fall under one of the 19 categories of records that the legislature must make public under the law.” Judges heard oral arguments in the case earlier this month, but a ruling likely won’t come for several additional months.
Philly Council approves new Sixers arena
Yesterday, amid protests, the Philadelphia City Council voted to approve the construction of a new $1.3 billion 76ers arena in Center City. The Inquirer reports, “Before Thursday’s session began, anti-arena demonstrators locked arms on the Council floor and temporarily prevented Council President Kenyatta Johnson from gaveling in the start of the meeting.” Eventually, “officers and deputies handcuffed the demonstrators one by one and walked them out of City Hall.” Much of the opposition stems from concerns the new arena will be “an existential threat to nearby Chinatown.” Meanwhile, “Key supporters of the project include the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, and the African American Chamber of Commerce.”
Shapiro nominates current attorney general as new state inspector general
Gov. Josh Shapiro has named Attorney General Michelle Henry to be Pennsylvania’s next inspector general. Henry succeeded Shapiro in the AG’s office but had no intention of running for a full-term as the state’s top law enforcement official. And Attorney General-elect Dave Sunday was elected to the role last month. PennLive reports that now, Shapiro has “tapped Henry to lead the agency that investigates fraud, misconduct and abuse in executive agencies under the governor’s control.” Henry’s nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.
Pa. on track to lose another congressional seat
The next redistricting round isn’t until after 2030, but according to 2024 U.S. Census estimates released yesterday, Pennsylvania is on track to lose yet another congressional seat because of population shifts. The American Redistricting Project published its forecast yesterday, noting that per the estimates, Texas and Florida stand to gain four seats each; Arizona, Idaho, and Utah each stand to gain one seat; California is projected to lose three seats; New York is projected to lose two; and Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania are each on track to lose one.