Mahoney nets support for House reform effort
HARRISBURG – A growing number of lawmakers – 36 as of Friday – are supporting Rep. Tim Mahoney’s legislation to make the spending habits of the Pennsylvania Legislature and other state entities public for the first time. Mahoney, a newly elected Democratic lawmaker from Fayette County, released his first co-sponsorship list Friday showing nearly one-third as new members. Mahoney said he’s disappointed no legislative leaders have signed on yet, which would give the proposed legislation added reinforcement.
Mahoney said he’s particularly missing House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese, who sold himself as a reformer last November to gain the support he needed among new members to retain his leadership post.
“He said he would be the biggest pusher of reform in the House; he’d be the No. 1 reformer,” said Mahoney. “He’s talking the walk but he’s not walking the walk.”
Mahoney said if DeWeese cosponsors his bill, “I think it would put more teeth into it, and that other people who are waiting to see what he does would jump on (board).”
At a Pennsylvania Newspaper Association conference last week, DeWeese said he would not wade into the debate until the House Legislative Reform Commission sent out its recommendations, though the group has no immediate plans to take up the open records issue. The commission’s first phase of work is reforming the House rules.
“I will probably cosponsor the result of the reform commission legislation,” DeWeese said. “I’ve been admonished historically for trying to strong arm the process.”
He added that he was “probably going to end up supporting most of what Mahoney is advocating.”
Mahoney’s bill would for the first time include under the state’s Right-to-Know Law the Pennsylvania Legislature, independent state agencies, and state-aided colleges and universities, requiring them to hand over records within 10 business days of a request.
More fundamentally, it would give the public the presumed right to see internal government documents on taxpayer spending, with certain exceptions, and the government agency would have to prove why a record should remain secret.
That turns the tables on existing law, in which the presumption is on citizens to prove a record should be made public.
Also, the bill would establish an “Office of Access to Public Records” where citizens could appeal a government agency’s denial of a public records request. The independent administrative agency, whose executive director would be appointed by the governor, would review and rule on the appeals. Afterward, either aggrieved party could take the issue to court. Now, the only avenue for citizens to complain about a denied request is a lawsuit.
Mahoney said he’s closing the period for co-sponsorship Monday and plans to introduce the bill Wednesday.
On a parallel track, Senate Republican Leader Dominic Pileggi said he will be introducing an open records bill but insists it will keep the presumption on citizens to prove records should be open because case law is already well established in that regard.
Among the cosponsors are Bucks County Reps. John Galloway, Tony Melio and Chris King.
Among the cosponsors are Lawrence County Rep. Jaret Gibbons, Washington County Rep. Jesse White, and Allegheny County Rep. Nick Kotik.
Among the cosponsors are Fayette County Rep. Deberah Kula and Westmoreland County Rep. Ted Harhai.
Alison Hawkes can be reached at 717-705-6330 or ahawkes@calkins-media.com