Spud liberation: Pa. legislature poised to lift restriction on sale sizes of potato sacks

Pennsylvania potato farmers across the state are cheering in unison for state Sen. David Argall this week.

Senator, this spud's for you.

The state is one step closer to liberating potato sales from long held weight restrictions on the sale of taters. Currently, potatoes can only be sold in bags that total less than three pounds or in exact weights of three, five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50 or multiples of 100 pounds.

That's right: It's illegal to sell potatoes in quantities that equal say four pounds, or seven, or 22.

Following the state House's approval to lift the weight restrictions by a vote of 197-0 on Thursday, it's apparent that lawmakers aren't teetering on tubers and Argall declared Pennsylvania "one step closer to repealing this obsolete restriction and allowing the market to dictate potato packaging."

The Republican from Schuylkill County added: "This is another example of undue government intrusion that only frustrates consumers and taxpayers with another unnecessary bureaucracy."

The proposed legislation now heads back to the Senate for a vote, after which it would go to Gov. Tom Corbett for his signature.

Sen. Elder Vogel, chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, which also approved of the potato bill, sees abolishing the weight restrictions as a metaphor for "common sense" in Harrisburg.

"I also believe that the Commonwealth could make better use of its resources than to hinder the livelihood of our farmers," Senator Vogel said.