Friday, November 4, 2016

West Penn Supervisors decree that recording can't take place at public meetings - but this is allowed under the Sunshine Act


It is reported that citizens of West Penn Township have been told that they can't record public meetings, and/or that they would have have to prior written permission to make such recordings.  Recording of meetings is specifically allowed under the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act:
§ 711.  Use of equipment during meetings.
        (a)  Recording devices.--Except as provided in subsection
     (b), a person attending a meeting of an agency shall have the
     right to use recording devices to record all the proceedings.
     Nothing in this section shall prohibit the agency from adopting
     and enforcing reasonable rules for their use under section 710
     (relating to rules and regulations for conduct of meetings).
        (b)  Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives.--The
     Senate and House of Representatives may adopt rules governing
     the recording or broadcast of their sessions and meetings and
     hearings of committees.
Sec 711 of PA Sunshine Act

If a tv station appears at a meeting to videotape, do they need "permission"?  Nope.  This is more bs, which appears to be in abundance in West Penn Township.  Section 710, referred to above, merely provides that activities at a meeting shall not interfere with the meeting.  As long as the recording does not interfere, it is allowed.  Requiring "written permission" is a crock of sh!t.  The back-asswards leadership of this community needs a serious wake-up call.  This isn't the Wild West.

If it looks like a crock and smells like a crock, it probably is a crock

West Penn residents should get everything associated with this water extraction debacle recorded, so they can protect their rights.

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