State Rep.

Brian Ellis, R-11th, is urging movement on legislation that would prevent recipients of welfare or certain child support payments from using the money to buy alcohol at state liquor stores or beer distributors.The proposal would prohibit those stores from accepting the electronic benefit transfer cards given to welfare recipients and EPPI Cards issued to those receiving certain forms of child support payments."The clear intent of government assistance and child support payments is to be supporting families, not one's drinking habit," Ellis said. "I'm sure the residents of the 11th District and across Pennsylvania would be outraged to find out that this is occurring."The legislation is pending in the House Liquor Control Committee."I urge my colleagues and the governor to embrace this legislation and enact it into law as quickly as possible," Ellis said.———The state Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday approved the Taxpayer Transparency Act, according to Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th, a co-sponsor of the measure.The bill would direct the Office of Budget to create and maintain a searchable budget database-driven Web site the public can access for free to obtain:• Information on grants and contracts provided by government agencies. All transactions above $25,000 would be accessible;• Agency performance indicators and quarterly performance results;• Agency line-by-line appropriation analysis."This bill is another step toward making state government more open and accountable to the people or Pennsylvania," Robbins said.