'An average lawmaker might see this as an opportunity to punish the newspapers that have blown the dome off the capital'

I've long suspected that Pennsylvania legislators have been looking for ways to exact revenge on newspapers for exposing the 2005 payjacking, the Bonusgate scandal and an assortment of other unsavory practices in Harrisburg.

This year's efforts to remove public notices (that tiny advertising in the back of newspapers about government meetings and actions) from newspapers doesn't make much sense on the surface.

Of all the pressing problems facing Pennsylvanians, the publication of legal notices wouldn't make the Top 100. So why is the Legislature working on changing the laws?

School boards, county and municipal governments spend less than 1 percent of their annual budgets on legal notices. If proponents of changing the law are to be believed that they're trying to save taxpayers money, there are so many other areas that can be cut.

Newspapers have written editorials opposing the change on the grounds that it would make it more difficult for taxpayers to keep an eye on their local school boards and municipal governments.

Now we have a member of the state Legislature who is wondering out loud what the real motivation behind the move is.

"An average lawmaker might see this as an opportunity to punish the newspapers that have blown the dome off the capital and shed light on some of our practices," State Rep. Mike Vereb, R-150, told The Norristown Times-Herald in a recent interview.

From a story by reporter Carl Rotenberg:

Times Herald Editor Stan Huskey introduced the subject of pulling the publication of public notices out of daily newspapers, a proposal floated by a state representative in the spring legislative session.

"Local governments are required to post public notices," Huskey said. "The idea of taking notices out of newspapers and putting them online will basically insure that the real watchdogs of local government no longer have an opportunity to see what is going on in their own backyard."

Vereb voted against the bill, he said, in the judiciary committee.

He served on the West Norriton Board of Commissioners before getting elected to the general assembly in 2007.

"Why wouldn't you advertise in the newspapers? We ought to look at more Web-based information. Newspapers serve a vital, vital interest for the folks who do not own a computer or use a computer," Vereb said.

He pointed out that all of the land development legal notices were paid for through township filing fees.

"An average lawmaker might see this as an opportunity to punish the newspapers that have blown the dome off the capital and shed light on some of our practices," he said.

Vereb supported providing more information about government actions and meetings through multiple notices. He said the printed notices kept the public meetings on schedule and reduced the number of postponed meetings.

"It keeps our local folks honest," he said, "and it should keep our state folks honest, as well."

Read more of Vereb's views on various state issues at the newspaper's Web site.

Also, the Reading Eagle published an excellent editorial addressing the public notice debate, "Issue not about money but rather access to information"