Monday, February 24, 2025, 7:09AM |  31°
MENU
Advertisement
Governor Tom Wolf speaks to reporters on March 16.
1
MORE

Lack of transparency: Public records requests ignored by the state

Dan Zampogna/TNS

Lack of transparency: Public records requests ignored by the state

The Wolf administration must become more open or the Legislature will have to act

In times of crisis, we need to trust that our elected leaders are being honest and forthright, acting in our best interests. Any attempt to withhold information only serves to damage the public trust and raise suspicions regarding government actions.

Sadly, the public trust has been compromised severely in Pennsylvania since the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the emergency closing of businesses, schools and agencies statewide. Government transparency, which should be paramount during this unprecedented and challenging time, has drifted into the shadows.

Rather than a commitment to openness, the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf has opted for a shutdown of access to public records and created a state government that can largely operate in secret for an undetermined period.

Advertisement

The pandemic is no excuse for restricting public access to government records and actions. The Wolf administration must reverse this policy and allow public records requests to be processed and addressed.

Since mid-March, most government offices have been closed in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Public records requests, even for agencies that are still operating — the Department of Health, for instance — have gone unanswered, and will likely continue to be ignored for the foreseeable future. In essence, the state’s Right-to-Know Law has been suspended.

Mr. Wolf, who campaigned as a champion of government transparency in both of his successful gubernatorial elections, has rationalized that he and other state officials are trying to be as open as possible, but that there are some things — such as public records requests — that can’t be handled because of the emergency situation and agency shutdowns.

The public, press organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union and even the state Legislature aren’t buying that excuse.

Advertisement

The Legislature last week passed a bill — by a near-unanimous vote — that would require public access to government records while the state is operating under a disaster declaration. A spokesperson for Mr. Wolf said he does not support the bill, but gave no indication as to whether he might veto it.

The flashpoint in the controversy relates to the Wolf administration’s refusal to provide documents related to the granting of waivers that allowed some businesses to reopen during the shutdown. The process, which was handled by the Department of Community and Economic Development, has been marked by secrecy and inconsistencies in determining what businesses received waivers and which were denied. The administration has said it will release information about the waivers, but has given no time frame as to when that might happen.

Senate Republicans even took the unusual step of issuing a subpoena for the DCED documents related to the controversial waiver process.

At a time when Gov. Wolf and state officials should be as transparent as possible about decisions affecting the commonwealth’s 12.8 million residents, the administration has instead chosen to effectively ignore requests for access to public records. If the Wolf administration won’t reverse its policy, the Legislature should force it to comply.

First Published: May 10, 2020, 10:00 a.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Protesters gathered at the corner of Murray and Forbes avenues to speak out against the Trump administration's policies on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Squirrel Hill.
1
news
'We will fight back': Hundreds rally in Squirrel Hill in opposition of Trump, Musk and president's administration
The University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning
2
business
Amid funding uncertainty, Pitt pauses doctoral admissions
York County District Attorney Timothy J. Barker reacts during a news conference regarding the shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pa. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
3
news
Police officer killed, gunman dead in shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York
This undated photo provided by the Denver Police Department shows Andrew Duarte who served as a Denver police officer from 2017 to 2022.
4
news
Officer killed in York hospital shootout was PennWest California graduate
Kash Patel, new Federal Bureau of Investigation director, speaks after he is sworn in during a ceremony at the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building within the White House complex Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in Washington.
5
news
New FBI Director Kash Patel will also be named acting head of the ATF, source says
Governor Tom Wolf speaks to reporters on March 16.  (Dan Zampogna/TNS)
Dan Zampogna/TNS
Advertisement
LATEST opinion
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story