[Column] Taxpayers are paying a ‘legacy tax’ for public notices

This column is shared with LebTown by fellow digital news publisher Tom Sofield of LevittownNow.com, NewtownPANow.com, and NewHopeFreePress.com.

Whether it’s a school board deciding on a several-hundred million dollar budget, or municipal officials voting on a new housing or commercial development, local government decisions impact your wallet, your neighborhood, and your family. You deserve to know about them before they happen.

For 50 years, Pennsylvania law has mandated that “public notices” that advise citizens of government considerations and actions be in printed newspapers. In 1976, when this law was written and the size of U.S. newsrooms was at its zenith, that made sense. But today, as print papers cut staff, move to days-late mail delivery, lose more and more subscribers, and are swallowed by out-of-state Wall Street firms and private equity groups based in distant places, it is clear the law hasn’t kept up.

Right now, the Pennsylvania House is considering amendments to House Bill 1291. A vote may take place next month.

Proponents of HB 1291 call it “modernization.” In reality, it is a protectionist measure developed by print lobbyists and designed to cement a 20th-century monopoly that serves special interests at the expense of transparency and your tax dollars.

Your school boards, county government, and municipalities are currently forced to pay inflated, exorbitant rates to print publications with dwindling reach while being denied the right to use digital-first outlets that offer larger, more engaged readership and more cost-effective rates. It’s a “legacy tax” on your local government.

The proponents of the status quo, led by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association which helped author HB 1291, argue that only legacy papers provide the “independent oversight” needed for public notices.

Independent local news publishers aren’t asking for a handout. Not at all. We are asking for a level playing field that reflects the reality of how Pennsylvanians get their news in 2026. Other states have already figured this out.

In 2024, Virginia passed bipartisan reform that allows online-only publishers to compete for notices based on free market principals, not their medium. It has been a success.

LevittownNow.com, NewtownPANow.com, and NewHopeFreePress.com and the teams behind dozens of other local news sites believe Pennsylvania should follow suit by:

• Ending the print monopoly: Allow municipalities to choose the most effective and affordable platform, whether digital or print.
• Reducing confusion: Readers already assume that local digital news outlets can publish public notices and expect to find them on our websites.
• Providing taxpayer relief: Give local governments (as they have asked for) the flexibility to save money by moving away from required, high-cost print ads when effective digital options exist.

We are saying that independent, local, digital news organizations, which many of you read every single day, should be allowed to compete to keep you informed.

The state has moved on from the era of “All the President’s Men” and smoking in the Capitol. Our transparency laws must do the same.

We urge our local lawmakers to reject the current version of HB 1291 and demand amendments that actually modernize public notice laws for the 21st century.

It’s time to stop protecting a monopoly, use common sense, and start fighting for the public’s right to know.