Right-to-Know Law Still on a Learning Curve

Since the new Open-Records law took effect last January, the number of requests for information have skyrocketed; increasing by as much as 130%, according to the Patriot News.

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review has a related article highlighting some of the lingering resistance requests have been getting from both state and local agencies.

While the new Right-to-Know law represents a significant step forward in increasing transparency, there are ways to improve the system. By creating an online state spending database, such as the one proposed in HB 1880, information would be more readily accessible and transparency would be more cost-efficient. PA Open Records Officer Terry Mutchler suggests such a database could cut back on the number of requests by up to 30%.