The Senate on Monday joined the House of Delegates in voting to end mandatory delivery of residential white pages to home phone company customers.
Last fall, Verizon asked the Public Service Commission if it could provide free electonic or paper copies only upon customer request. The PSC denied Verizon's proposal, prompting lawmakers to intervene.
The House gave unanimous final passage to a similar bill earlier this month. Only one senator, Sen. Norm Stone, the chamber's elder member, voted against it Monday.
The legislative plan mirrors what Verizon had in mind: The tomes will never again automatically land on doorsteps.
The changes do not affect advertising-funded business directories, such as the Yellow Book.
(Note about the photo: No residential white pages could be located for this blog entry. Image is a section of Anne Arundel business listings from Yellow Book.)