Author: Liz Wagenseller

Two RTKL Presentations at Temple University

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Yesterday, I returned to my alma mater Temple University to speak to two journalism classes about Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law.

It was great to be back on campus (so much construction!). Both classes, one with undergraduate students and one with master’s students, had outstanding questions, and I greatly appreciate the invitations.

(If you’re a journalism professor in Pennsylvania, let me know if you’d like me to speak to your class and I’ll do my best to make it happen.)

Here are the PowerPoint presentations I used:

Temple University – Prof. Jillian Bauer-Reese – Sept. 4, 2018 (PPTX)
Temple University – Prof. Jillian Bauer-Reese – Sept. 4, 2018 (PDF)
Temple University – Dr. Logan Molyneux – Sept. 4, 2018 (PPTX)
Temple University – Dr. Logan Molyneux – Sept. 4, 2018 (PDF)

Twitter Thread: RTKL Deadlines

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Here’s a Twitter thread I posted recently exploring deadlines under the Right-to-Know Law.

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Twitter Thread: RTKL Procedural Issues

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Here’s a Twitter thread I posted recently exploring some common procedural issues which arise under the Right-to-Know Law.

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Presentation to Committee of Seventy Interns

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Earlier this week, a group of interns from the Committee of Seventy visited the Office of Open Records in Harrisburg to discuss the Right-to-Know Law and the OOR.

It was a great discussion, and I very much appreciate them visiting. Here’s the presentation I used to help frame the discussion:

Committee of Seventy Interns – July 31, 2018 (PPTX)
Committee of Seventy Interns – July 31, 2018 (PDF)

Federal Court Says Public Officials Can’t Block Twitter Users

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A federal court today ruled that President Donald J. Trump cannot block people from following his @realDonaldTrump account on Twitter.

The impact of the ruling, however, is not limited to the president.

Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York wrote, “This case requires us to consider whether a public official may, consistent with the First Amendment, ‘block’ a person from his Twitter account in response to the political views that person has expressed, and whether the analysis differs because that public official is the President of the United States. The answer to both questions is no.”

The full decision can be read here: Knight Institute vs. Trump

Presentation to CCAP Solicitors’ Conference

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Earlier today, I took part in a discussion about the Right-to-Know Law at the 2018 CCAP Solicitors’ Conference in Harrisburg.

Other participants included attorneys Craig J. Staudenmaier and J. Stephen Feinour from Nauman Smith. The panel was moderated by J. Chadwick Schnee, Berks County’s First Assistant Solicitor.

It was a great discussion, and I very much appreciate the invitation.

The discussion covered a fairly wide variety of topics, but the presentation I prepared focused on the Office of Open Records’ survey of Agency Open Records Officers (AOROs) and the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee’s separate survey of AOROs:

CCAP Solicitors’ Conference – May 4, 2018 – PPTX
CCAP Solicitors’ Conference – May 4, 2018 – PDF

54 Training Sessions in 2017

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More than 1,900 people attended official Office of Open Records training sessions in 2017. We traveled the state again, including visits to Charleroi, Doylestown, Grove City, Pittsburgh, Roaring Branch, and Summerdale.

The OOR provides training on the Right-to-Know Law and the Sunshine Act.

We’re back on the road in 2018 — and this year we’ll also be conducting training sessions online.

Our training schedule can be found here.

This information is from the OOR’s 2017 Annual Report.

110 Mediations in 2017

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The Office of Open Records conducted 110 Right-to-Know Law mediations in 2017.

Our mediation program can be an effective way to resolve disputes between requesters and agencies. Many of our Appeals Officers are also trained mediators and can conduct mediations via telephone or in person.

When a mediation is successful, the appeal is withdrawn — saving both sides the effort of engaging in a formal appeal process and ensuring that the case never goes to court.

Either side can choose to end mediation at any time; if this happens, the OOR’s traditional appeal process begins.

More about our mediation program can be found here.

This information is from the OOR’s 2017 Annual Report.