Update on SB 419 - bill that would take public notices out of newspapers and put them on the Internet voted out of committee

The Senate Local Government Committee voted SB419 out of committee, with no negative votes, on March 25, 2009. Several senators, including Senator Mike Brubaker (R., Lancaster), expressed concerns about moving public notices to the Internet. Senator Jim Ferlo (D., Allegheny) added that the bill could threaten "a major component of our democracy.” Unfortunately, all members of the Committee voted in favor of the bill. If standard procedure is followed, the bill will go to the Appropriations Committee next.