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For Immediate Release
June 17, 2008
Contact: Joe Sterns
717-787-5708
(Cell) 717-497-0806
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Folmer's
Taxpayer-Funded Advertising Transparency Act Takes Step Forward to Becoming Law
HARRISBURG (June 16, 2008) – The Senate State Government
Committee today unanimously passed Sen. Mike Folmer's (R-Lebanon)
Taxpayer-Funded Advertising Transparency Act.
The legislation requires all 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.
"This will help to show taxpayers how their money is being
spent," Folmer said. "It would also help reduce the cost of state government,
as it would force more careful consideration to be given before using taxpayers'
money for promotional purposes."
Folmer noted that modern means of disseminating information
without cost, particularly the Internet, should preclude, for instance, spending
excess amounts of money on so-called public service announcements. Citizen
watchdog groups have long criticized this practice as a questionable use of
taxpayers' money.
The legislation –
Senate Bill 1015 – will now go to the House for consideration.
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