A state lawmaker from Union County thinks it’s time state officials give credit where credit is due.

Brochures published on Rep. Fred Keller's website indicate that taxpayers were the source of funding that went into preparing and compiling them. Keller thinks all government documents should carry this note.

If public funds went into compiling or publishing a document or website, Republican Rep. Fred Keller said it's time taxpayers are told they are the ones paying for it.

Keller introduced legislation last week that would require all state-sponsored materials, publications and publicly accessible websites to state: "Prepared or Compiled Using Taxpayer Resources."

Keller practices what he preaches.

On his website, he already includes that phrase. Brochures Keller posts on his website identify that they were "prepared or compiled using government resources." The brochures also list only his legislative district number and contact information but unlike other legislators' literature, his name and photo are nowhere to be found on them.



He said while it's good to get the information out, he doesn't think it is necessary for lawmakers to put their name on it, which can create the impression they paid for it.

“This legislation will ensure that proper credit for state materials and websites is given to the true source of the funds: Pennsylvania taxpayers,” Keller said. “For too long, officials in Harrisburg have used state resources to add to the power of incumbency at taxpayer expense.”

Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, said including this line on taxpayer-funded literature doesn't hurt anything. He said he has seen it on government documents from outside the state.

But he said he would be more impressed if the bill also required political and issue-oriented advertisement to more clearly state who paid for them to help the public better assess the message’s credibility.

Rep. Fred Keller

Keller, who also offered a bill that requires school boards to publicly post all proposed labor agreements in advance of their ratification, said he promised in his campaign to work to change the status quo in Harrisburg.

Sponsoring legislation that instills more transparency and openness at all levels of government is a way of doing that, he said.

Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks County, one of the co-sponsors on Keller’s bill, has been advocating for a similar measure for several years.

But so far, Cox's measure has met with little success, yet he remains undeterred. In January, he re-introduced his bill that requires the big presentation checks handed out by legislative or executive branch officials to bear the words "Pennsylvania taxpayers" on the signature line. That bill sits idle in the House State Government Committee.



Keller acknowledged his proposal may appear as little more than a symbolic gesture but he hopes it sends the public a message.

“I hope it forces the taxpayers to ask what are you doing with this money,” he said. “If we start to be more responsible with what our circle of influence is, we can start to broaden that to reforms to reduce the size of government.”