Rep. Bryan Lentz, (D, PA-161) annouced on Friday that he’ll introduce legislation to strengthen the Commonwealth’s Sunshine Act. The measure reportedly has the support of the Local Government Committee Chairman Robert Freeman, (D, PA-136).

Sunshine laws (or open meeting laws) enhance the public’s ability to monitor their government by carefully limiting the topics that may be discussed by a government council or board in private meetings. Despite the law, many such bodies do not adhere to the law’s requirements.

Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania law is effectively toothless. According to 65 Pa.C.S.A. § 714:

Any member of any agency who participates in a meeting with the intent and purpose by that member of violating this chapter commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding $100 plus costs of prosecution.

So the penalty is a mere slap on the wrist, and that only if a brave citizen takes legal action, and the officials can be demonstrated to have participated with the intent to subvert the law.

Recent alleged misconduct in Haverford has brought the issue of the Sunshine Act back to the fore. The Governor has indicated that he’s in favor of toughening the law. Lentz, a reform-oriented freshman from Delaware County who sits on the Local Government Committee, is the right person to get the ball rolling.

Because Delaware County has lived under one-party rule for thirty years, this is an issue on which I’m unusually sensitive. In fact, the only time I have marched into a public meeting and griped at my municipal commissioners was when allegations arose that they’d been discussing out-of-bounds topics in executive session.

Daddy Democrat endorses the efforts of any legislators, regardless of party, to strengthen the Sunshine Act. My gratitude goes out, yet again, to Bryan Lentz. Politically, everybody knows I’m a big supporter of his, but so far, he’s done everything to deserve my continued trust.