Government transparency advocates want public records and meetings access to be the status quo — not a privilege– for all U.S. citizens.
National Sunshine Week, which is March 12 to 21 this year, gives those advocates a chance to celebrate and keep conversation going around the topic.
“The sunshine laws do just that. They shine a light on what public officials do, so that the public can understand those decisions,” said Melissa Melewsky, legal counsel for the advocacy group Pennsylvania Newsmedia Association.
Sunshine laws require most government meetings to be publicized beforehand and open to the public. In a similar vein, right-to-know laws allow citizens to access most government records. Both laws assume open access, but give exemptions for scenarios and certain types of information in records.
“It’s more difficult to do things the wrong way if people are watching,” Melewsky said.
She flagged some concerns with Pennsylvania’s current sunshine and open record laws. For example, journalists say exemptions for criminal and non criminal investigation records are overly broad. Investigations can’t be accessed even after a case is closed.
“Like the results of a safety inspection from a nursing home, the results from day care inspections that are there for health and safety of people. We have no right to access those under Pennsylvania law,” Melewsky said.
A recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling weakens open meeting laws.
Agendas for government meetings should be published 24 hours ahead of time.
Last fall, the court ruled governments could add to the agenda even after it is posted.
“That 24 hour notice requirement has been rendered largely meaningless because they can add anything to it at any point in time, even during a meeting,” Melewsky said.
Democrats and Republicans introduced bills to restore the 24 hour notice period to former strictness.
Local municipalities can be proactive with their transparency.
“We are the stewards of the people’s money, of the people’s decisions and the people’s records. And my feeling is they have a right to it,” said Dean Pepicello, township supervisor for Harborcreek, Pennsylvania. Pepicello is also the townships right-to-know officer.
He says that township workers actively post documents based on popularity. The township website features future agendas and an archive of past meeting notes.
“I had a resident say to us, ‘you know what? I don’t have to make any open records requests because everything I need is right there online,” Pepicello said.
For any Pennsylvania residents who want to learn more about the right-to-know process, the Office of Open Records has trainings. The office also released it’s 2025 annual report for how right-to-know requests were appealed.
For any New York residents who want to learn more about the Freedom of Information Law process, the state’s Open Government website has information.
