Government Transparency Bill Becomes Law Without Governor's Signature

Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf allowed a government transparency bill he once adamantly opposed lapse into law Sunday evening without his signature.

The legislation requires state agencies to fulfill Right to Know records requests during disaster declarations.

In a lengthy statement, the administration admonished House Bill 2463 as “foolish” and “thoughtless” and little more than a talking point for Republican majorities in the House and Senate, even though it was approved unanimously with bipartisan support.

“I will let this bill become law, but it is time for the Republican legislature to hold themselves accountable for their intentional lack of transparency, their failures throughout this pandemic, and their response that has repeatedly endangered employees and citizens in Pennsylvania,” Wolf said. “It’s time for accountability and reform, and that is what we should all expect and demand.”

Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, sponsored the bill last spring after the administration denied access to public records to media outlets and others seeking specific data about the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commonwealth Foundation Vice President Nathan Benefield said the measure shouldn't have been controversial.

"After a week and a half of threats to veto, it is a relief to know that Gov. Wolf can be pressured into abiding the principle of transparency – a principle which he has claimed to champion," Benefield said in a statement. "When put to the test during the statewide shutdown, Wolf abandoned the laws that guarantee transparency and accountability in state government, preferring instead to pull a curtain around his actions and delay publicity of his decisions. Without the bold actions of Rep. Seth Grove and his colleagues on both sides of the isle in the General Assembly, Wolf would have likely taken the same actions to obscure his administration's decision making in a future emergency."