Gov. Wolf Loses Fight Over Office Of Open Records Director

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- The state Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the director of the Office of Open Records, who has been fighting Governor Wolf's efforts to remove him.

Long-time Republican Senate staffer Erik Arneson was appointed director of the Office of Open Records by outgoing Republican Governor Tom Corbett.

Removing Arneson was one of the first moves made by new Democratic Governor Tom Wolf. Now the state Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision reinstating Arneson.

The high court currently consists of five members. And while one Democratic justice dissented, saying that she believes the governor acted within his constitutional authority, the majority opinion was written by the court's other Democratic Justice, Max Baer, who agreed with the lower court's conclusion that the Office of Open Records is a "unique, independent agency" that needs to be insulated from the potential "coercive influence" from a governor.