HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania is making it easier and cheaper for people to get public records.

The state's Office of Open Records says government agencies can't charge people who request public records and photograph them with their smartphones in lieu of getting paper copies.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1fnpmmL) the ruling last Friday involved a township that told a resident he could look at expense records but wasn't allowed to photograph them.

The township told the man he had to pay for copies of the records he requested through the state's open records law.

The agency found that blocking people from photographing documents contradicts the purpose of the law, which is intended to maximize access to government records.

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Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

http://www.post-gazette.com