Pa. court sides with transparency. How to know if your local gov't is following the law.

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A court has ruled that elected officials can't vote on contracts or other major projects in Pennsylvania without first giving taxpayers a 24-hour notice.

Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey in a recent decision said board members for Lehigh County's Parkland High School erred in 2021 when they approved a collective bargaining agreement without first advertising it. Board members argued they were exempt from the 24-hour notice requirement of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act because they hadn't received the union's tentative agreement until the day of the public meeting.

"Because the School Board’s approval of the CBA involved expenditure of significant funds and/or entering into a contract without prior public notice, the School Board violated Section 712.1(c) of the Sunshine Act," Covey wrote in her ruling.

Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said the ruling is an important win for transparency. The court's interpretation suggests public officials can't act upon, or even discuss, non-emergency decisions of significant impact without giving advance notice to taxpayers.

"Government functions best when its citizenry is involved," Melewsky told the USA TODAY Network.

"I think the effect of this is the public should have at least 24 hours notice. The intent here ... is that the public has a statutory right to notice to what their public officials plan to discuss and act upon at meetings."

Melewsky added that the decision sets precedent for elected officials across the state, and that she hopes it leads to increased public participation in local government.

Inside the Beltway

America's agriculture community received an assurance of continuity last week with the extension of the expiring 2018 Farm Bill.

Subject to revision every five years, the Farm Bill is a sweeping legislative package addressing food and ag policy across the country. A recently passed House of Representatives resolution will maintain the status quo through Oct. 1, according to Competitive Market Action CEO and President Marty Irby.

"They aren't even close to having a product," Irby said in relation to a new Farm Bill.

Irby, whose organization bills itself as an advocate for family and mid-sized farms, cited a few reasons for the delay. He said the process is being steered by two relatively new chairs who are still learning on the job: U.S. Reps. Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-Pa.) and David Scott (D-Ga.).

He also noted that Congress has been dealing with House speakership changes and escalating violence in the Middle East — though he hopes the Farm Bill begins to attract more attention.

"Agriculture is such a huge part of our economy," Irby said. "The USDA's budget is the second-largest in the federal government, only behind the Department of Defense."

And the horse race

State Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) will likely be contested in his GOP primary next year.

Republican Rachel Moyer has announced her plan to run for Diamond's 102nd Legislative District seat in Pennsylvania. She's a current member of the Eastern Lebanon County School Board.

Moyer's challenge to Diamond underscores a rift within Pennsylvania's Republican ranks. She's endorsed by state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin), who was the commonwealth's GOP nominee for governor last year and was once thought to be a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024.

More: ELCO school board director launches primary challenge to Rep. Russ Diamond

Mastriano's potential run for Congress was criticized by Diamond, who told the USA TODAY Network earlier this year that Mastriano has shown a "lack of judgment" in sharing debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Commonwealth Court says PA Sunshine Act requires 24-hour notice