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For Immediate Release Folmer's Reform Agenda Advances
HARRISBURG (June 26, 2008) – Two key pieces of Sen. Mike Folmer's (R-Lebanon) reform agenda advanced through the legislative process today. The Taxpayer-Funded Advertising Transparency Act (Senate Bill 1015) was unanimously approved by the Senate and moved to the House for consideration. The legislation requires all paid advertising by state government to bear the following disclaimer: "Paid for with Pennsylvania taxpayer dollars." It is estimated that state government annually spends tens of millions of taxpayer dollars advertising itself, a practice which Folmer said needs more accountability and transparency. The Senate State Government Committee also unanimously approved Folmer's legislation (SB 1499) reining in the use of state vehicles. Only state employees who drive more than 1,200 miles a month (excluding personal usage) would be eligible to use a state-owned car. Additionally, employees granted the privilege of using a state-owned vehicle would be required to maintain a detailed monthly mileage log, and those logs would have to be posted on the Department of General Service's web site and accessible to the general public and news media (with undercover law enforcement agents being excluded from this requirement). Folmer noted that many state agencies are lacking in accountability standards for the use of state vehicles by their employees. One state employee confided in Folmer that the state agency for which he works insisted he use a car against his preference to drive his personal vehicle. "We're moving reform forward one step at a time," Folmer said. Other reforms initiated by Folmer include: a Citizens Constitutional Convention (SB 1290), the "Tax Me More" Fund for those who believe they are under-taxed, and "Healthy Pennsylvania" (SB 1181-1196), a consumer-oriented alternative to Gov. Rendell's Rx for Pennsylvania. | |||
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