Bucks’ new 911 policy draws fire from lawyer
November 20, 2008: A media lawyer has found a long list of problems with Bucks County’s new policy regarding the release of 911 records — from the policy’s unclear definition of 911 records to its restrictions regarding time response logs and the fees it sets.
Melissa Melewsky, an attorney for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, also found fault with a provision in the policy that prohibits the release of records in cases where the Department of Emergency Communications or its employees have been accused of wrongdoing.
“It doesn’t matter if accusations are made…If it’s public, it’s public,” she said. Read the full article here.
CASD records to be available
November 17, 2008: Chambersburg Area School District is already preparing for the new year, due to a statewide change in record keeping that takes place on Jan. 1.
Updates to the current Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law will change how school districts and municipalities distribute information to the public and the news media.
The district is following the guidelines and recommendations set by the state to create a records management plan. Read the full article here.
New open-records law to go into effect in Pennsylvania
November 16, 2008: The law presumes all records, with noted exemptions, are public.
Proponents of a stronger Pennsylvania open-records law got a nice Valentine’s Day present this year.
Gov. Ed Rendell signed Act 3, the new law that is supposed to reinforce what’s largely considered one of the weakest open-records laws in the nation, on Feb. 14.
Now the last year under the old law is ending. A new office of open records has been setting training sessions throughout the state for representatives of government agencies. Read the full article here.
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