The Philadelphia City Council Committee on Law and Government yesterday approved legislation that could allow the city to avoid newspapers when advertising public information, according to Philly.com.

Currently the city charter requires that public information, such as new legislation, be published in three of the city's newspapers with paid circulation. However, with recent bankruptcies of Philadelphia newspapers the Daily News and Inquirer, the new legislation proposes to ask voters during the primary election in May if the city should be given more flexibility when advertising information.

Councilman Darrell Clarke who introduced the bill, citing the newspaper strikes of the 1980s, stressed that the change would give the city the ability to alter procedures if it found itself without three paid newspapers, Philly.com reported.

Councilman Bill Green revealed compassion for the newspapers and their societal role. "I just have the sense that we're kicking some great corporate citizen while they're down," Green said, according to Philly.com.

The legislation will have its first reading before the full Council on Thursday and will require a "super majority" - 12 votes from a possible 17 of the Council members.