Social media posts by public officials on personal accounts are public records only if they constitute an official action on behalf of an official agency, Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court ruled in April.

The former head of Pennsylvania's Office of Open Records called it a significant case in an evolving area of open records law, while Spotlight PA reports the decision is likely to make accessing such information more burdensome and costly for Pennsylvanians.

Read the full report: How Local Government Works: Are government officials' personal social media posts public records?

THE CONTEXT: The case behind the 4-3 ruling involved an LGBTQ book display at Crawford County's Penncrest School District and a records request for board member Facebook posts "related to homosexuality."

Commonwealth Court judges established a three-factor test to judge when social media posts made on public officials' personal accounts should be accessible under the Right-to-Know Law. At the same time, open records advocates say agencies should still err on the side of access. 

Open records and municipal law attorney Josh Bonn said it used to be that any communications by public officials about public business were "presumed to be a public record," adding, "This is such a significant opinion because it is, in my opinion, a change of the law as it's been developing."

In other news: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases this fall involving whether the First Amendment applies to public officials' social media accounts when they block constituents, Politico reports.

• RELATED NEWS: Penn State's proposed 50% funding cut for its student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, has been deemed unavoidable and will drop the total to $200,000 next year, Onward State reports, citing the paper's monthly alumni newsletter.

MISSING FROM M4A: The March for Medicare for All advocacy group is "deeply disappointed" that U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D, Pa.) was not among the cosponsors of a renewed Medicare for All push last week given prior statements like this one and his recent "gold-plated" psychiatric care. Here's what Fetterman said about M4A during a 2022 primary debate.

BIGGER BILLS: Your electricity bill is likely going up right before the high-use summer season. Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission says most electric utility companies are adjusting — read: raising — their electric generation prices as of June 1. Here's how to shop around.

MARINE LIFE: President Joe Biden's administration has taken a first step toward designating the Pennsylvania section of Lake Erie as the state's first national marine sanctuary. A formal designation could take years.

ALL NATURAL: The bodies below ground at the Penn Forest Natural Burial Park in Verona, Allegheny County, are in shrouds and biodegradable coffins, per City Paper. Above ground, animals graze and wildflowers bloom.

CLOSE CALL: On Wednesday, cyclists rode through Philadelphia to raise awareness for biker safety on local roadways. On Saturday, Eagles wide-receiver A.J. Brown was nearly hit during a team charity ride.