End the “Public Info Tax”
The Problem: A Tax on Transparency
Pennsylvania state law currently forces local governments to spend a collective $26 million annually on print newspaper advertisements, a “Public Info Tax” that delivers information to a medium many residents no longer use.
The Crisis: Expanding News Deserts
This year alone, the closure of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the Oil City Derrick and the Clinton County Record no longer publishing print editions, has created vast news deserts. In these areas, the law still requires print ads, even when the papers themselves no longer exist.
The Goal: Intuitive Transparency
It is time for the law to match the intuitiveness of residents, who first look to official websites. We are fighting to pass SB 194, which would replace the Public Info Tax with free, digital, and accessible notifications.
Take the Minute Survey
We need your data to prove the real-world cost of this mandate. Tell us what your township spends and how those funds could be better used for roads, safety, or tax relief.
The Public Information Notification Survey
