HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) – Pennsylvania lawmakers are again taking up the issue of whether to eliminate the mandate that legal notices be placed in newspapers.

Bills have been pending for years in the state legislature to allow local governments and school districts to post legal notices on line instead of placing ads in newspapers.

And as the state House
Local Government Committee held another hearing on the matter, it once again heard familiar arguments from opponents like newspaper publisher Martin Till who says there are still many people without internet access.

“This system is not broken in any way. There is no reason to change it.”

But Ronald Grutza of the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs says citizens are on the internet and suggested another motive for the opposition.

“We’ve seen a lot of ink spilled on this issue over the past several weeks from our friends on the editorial boards and they have a vested interest in this.”

Newspaper publishers, meanwhile, disputed the argument that on line legal notices will save money, saying that there are significant costs associated with reliable posting of notices.

Reported by Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio