Please feel free to pass this email on, and especially respond, if you have more definitive information, e.g., the exact phrasing of the bills presented to NYS Governor David Patterson. On Wed., 9 July 2008, The Journal News of Westchester & Rockland Counties, NY, p. B1, includes a superficial article about Patterson "signing 137 bills into law." Superficial in that the details were scanty. These two snippets include information about legislative bills that may implicitly rebound onto genealogical researchers. "Patterson also approved a bill to allow counties to adopt local laws to increase their document recording fees to $20. per document and $5. per page." "Other legislation signed into law by Patterson includes...establishing new Freedom of Information laws." Anyone know the details about this? FYI an unrelated fact about monetary increases: Last week I discovered that the copying machines at 31 Chambers Street, NY, NY increased from 25 cents to 35 cents per page. This could greatly impact documents with many pages. Folks often plan to budget which vital records they will obtain, and which they will hold some off until later. For the past two years, I've obtained all that I can, in case some 'privacy" window closes on their availability. Barb N of NYC ************** Get the scoop on last night's hottest shows and the live music scene in your area - Check out TourTracker.com! (http://www.tourtracker.com?NCID=aolmus00050000000112)