MELLOW LAUDS SENATE VOTE ON OPEN RECORDS BILL HARRISBURG, Jan. 30, 2008 – State Senate Democratic Leader Robert J. Mellow today applauded Senate approval of open records legislation he called “a good first step toward making all levels of government more open and accessible. “This compromise measure (Senate Bill 1) would enhance the public’s ability to access government information and take a more active role in government policies and decisions,” Mellow said. “Openness is foundational component of democracy.” The Senate unanimously approved the amended bill. The measure now returns to the House for consideration. Mellow, who first allowed television coverage of Senate sessions years ago, said the compromise measure improves an already solid open records bill. He said the amended bill would: - presume that government records – as well as legislative records -- are public records unless one of the limited exceptions applies; - keep birth dates on court documents and other public records to help verify a person’s identity; - make 9-1-1 recordings and transcripts available where the public interest outweighs privacy concerns; - hike the civil penalty against public officials who wrongly withhold a pubic record from $1,000 to $1,500; and - make letters between lawmakers and lobbyists public documents. Mellow said the open records legislation would complement Senate institutional rule changes lawmakers approved last year that require the positing of additional records on the Internet, impose waiting periods on when bills and amendments can be voted on, and limit session hours to between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. # # #