A government that operates in darkness operates without accountability. Sunshine Week, an annual occasion when Pennsylvania’s newspapers and media outlets lobby lawmakers and the public for stronger protections for transparency and public access to how our government operates, is ...

The big question hanging over Amtran’s proposal to extend bus service by two hours into the evenings is whether the ridership will continue to exist to justify that additional transportation availability indefinitely. That is not a question limited to Amtran. Any transportation entity ...

Delaying a public campaign financing program may serve incumbents, but it won’t serve the public interest. After years of advocacy, public financing of state election campaigns is so, so close. We have the legal green light. We have the guidelines written, the procedures planned. All we ...

The kids are alright, The Who once sang. Well, actually, they might not be. Some recent studies have shown that young people, particularly teenage girls, are experiencing disturbingly high levels of stress and distress. Granted, teens have been experiencing their share of angst since the ...

March 12-18 is Sunshine Week across the nation, and the annual event underscores the importance of open government. That makes it a great time to explore some common issues with Pennsylvania’s open meetings law. Can a board limit public comment to agenda items only? Must committees hold ...

If Pennsylvania legislators ever wonder why they might not be seen as completely trustworthy, they need only to look to their track record of how they govern others versus how they govern themselves. The most infamous example is always the 2005 pay increase — passed at 2 a.m. without any ...