Pennsylvania law must be changed to provide greater access to government records and meetings. Here are a few reasons why:

• In Harrisburg, a man was arrested for allegedly attacking a woman who was running along Front Street. But that was news to all of the other women and men who run in that park every day, because the information was not released by the local police until after the arrest.

• In a Pennsylvania elementary school, an event was cancelled because of a bomb threat. But parents were not informed of the threat until after the relevant time frame had passed.

• The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency has spent over $800,000 on Board retreats in recent years. But it refuses to grant access to the invoices that would explain how that money was spent -- and has spent a significant amount of time and money fighting the matter in court.

• In municipalities across the Commonwealth, citizens struggle for access to even the most basic financial information, including budget documents, salary information for public employees and monetary settlements paid to settle lawsuits.

Recent court decisions have made it harder than ever to gain access to public records or meetings. As a result, many local and state agencies routinely refuse access to public information -- knowing that no penalties will be imposed.