Harrisburg politicians come and go, and political majorities shift over time. But one thing that remains the same no matter who is in power is the reflexive tendency to withhold information from the very people who pay the bills: us taxpayers.
Our state and local governments exist to serve our communities. We pay taxes every year, and in return we, the taxpayers, need to know what our government is doing, how our money is being spent, and the services we deserve. You have the right to know whether you are receiving it or not.
But fewer and fewer journalists will be on the front lines of keeping government honest, and when officials don't regularly face questions and public records requests, they lean more and more toward secrecy over transparency. .
We know what can happen when powerful institutions are left unchecked. Check out our recent research report on Dubois. There, the city manager allegedly gave himself a large bonus and stole thousands of dollars.
That's why Spotlight PA's efforts to promote transparency and openness across Pennsylvania are so important to the health of our state. That's why we need your support to continue this fight in a critical year. And now your contribution will be double his.
This week is sunshine week. It is an annual national effort to draw attention to the importance of government transparency and access to public records. These are two principles that are core to Spotlight PA's mission.
For those not familiar with our work, Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom that covers pressing issues in the state Capitol and across the state. We share all of our journalism for free with over 100 community news organizations across the state.
Last year, Spotlight Pennsylvania revealed that Gov. Josh Shapiro signed unusually strict non-disclosure agreements with members of his transition team and refused to disclose the private donors who funded his inaugural celebrations. I wrote an article about his departure from his two immediate predecessors, one Democrat and one Republican.
The governor has refused to release his daily schedule, leaving many details unclear about who he is meeting with and what they are discussing. And when a top member of his inner circle was accused of sexual harassment, his administration settled, banning all parties from talking about it.
And there are endless records battles with the state Legislature, which itself has secretly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past five years to settle sexual harassment and other allegations against its members and staff. They often include confidentiality clauses and other protective provisions. Public disclosure of the agreement.
Spotlight PA is also suing the Legislature to win access to emails between lawmakers and lobbyists, guaranteed under the state's public records law. Additionally, we aggressively fight on your behalf in other matters in court to ensure that our powerful agency complies with state public records and meetings laws.
- In July, the court ruled in favor of Spotlight PA and The Caucus, a partner in Lancaster's LNP Media Group, and Congress clearly redacted reasons for hiring private attorneys based on attorney-client privilege. The court ruled that the defendant could not do so, but that he would have to pay the attorney's fees instead. Withholding tax records are handled on a case-by-case basis.
- In August, Spotlight PA joined with four affiliated newsrooms to file a lawsuit seeking the release of records in a widely publicized corruption case against former Dubois City Manager Harm Spurio. The document, which is normally made public, was later made public.
- Spotlight PA sued the Pennsylvania Board of Regents in December, alleging that the newsroom's claims violated the Pennsylvania Open Meetings Act.
Every day, Spotlight PA reporters across the state track people's taxes and fight in big and small ways to understand what our government is doing. How do we find the time and resources to do such important work?
It's all thanks to you.
The future of our journalism and Spotlight PA depends on your support. As a special bonus, when you make a tax-deductible gift of any amount at Spotlightpa.org/donate, every gift will be donated to us, thanks to a matching gift from Pittsburgh's Venter Foundation, which is committed to ensuring honest and ethical government. Your donation will be doubled.
If you would like to donate by check, please send it to Spotlight PA, 312 Walnut St., #11728, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728. We hope you will help Spotlight PA work with his partners in the newsroom to continue fighting for transparency in government.
Christopher Baxter is CEO and president of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom in Harrisburg. Email cbaxter@spotlightpa.org.
