LETTER: Keep legal ads in newspapers
The editorial by William Cotter published in the TikTok成人版 on Sunday, June 22 is right on
point and a reason for concern.
If you have not read this editorial, you should.
The bill it references, SB 194, was introduced by Doug Mastriano, and is a direct attempt to limit what the free press and the public are able to see.
The premise seems harmless enough: just publish business and meeting announcements on the entities’ websites instead of the current newspaper publishing requirements. This would save money and time and increase the efficiency of local governments; everyone has a computer, right?
No, everyone does not have a computer, and many residents, especially older citizens, are not computer literate, even if they have one. There is no such thing as a standard website, and many website instructions can be confusing.
Currently, school districts, and municipal and county governments are required by the Newspaper Advertising Act to publish meeting notices and other required business so that it is viewed by the public, as it is their right to know.
Even if you do not subscribe to a newspaper, you should make a call to your state legislator and ask them to preserve your right to read required notices in newspapers, available to everyone.
Another bill, House Bill 1291 is comprehensive, bipartisan legislation that looks to modernize and expand the Newspaper Advertising Act, and is supported by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.
Roy W. Hess Sr. of Dawson is the former legislative chair of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, Southwest Region.