By Sari Heidenreich, Contributing Writer

Superior Court candidate Vic Stabile said a statewide media campaign has not been possible but is on select cable and radio throughout the state. Covey said her radio and TV ads began airing last Sunday in various markets.http://youtu.be/_nQQSUqDNd4The ad slams Democrat Kathryn Boockvar for heradvocacyof a 2009 bill that would have mandated prisons include voter registration forms in packets given to ex-offenders.It’s about costs, says Covey campaign manager Mike Morris.

“By making this a legal requirement, you will trigger compliance costs:  Was the voter registration provided?  Who provided it?” he wrote in an email.

“Bottom Line: This law will absolutely, positively result in greater expense to the state of Pennsylvania.”

Boockvar emailed supporters Tuesday saying Covey had released a negative campaign ad that smears her, “work to protect voting rights and her efforts to decrease recidivism rates in our state.”

The email from Boockvar’s campaign said the ad is “not only inappropriate for a judicial campaign – and violates the pledge judicial candidates take to refrain from politics-as-usual negative ads – but also, it’s offensive.”

Covey defended her ad saying, “I do not have a negative ad. I have a truthful ad, telling the voters of Pennsylvania what the facts are concerning my opponent.”

Update: Boockvar’s campaign is highlighting the fiscal note from the bill in question – the go-along with the legislation indicates that it would have come at a $0 cost.

Reports Laura Olson of the Post-Gazette:

[Boockvar] noted that the 2009 House measure would have spent no additional tax dollars to provide the forms. Here’s a fiscal note confirming that the bill wouldn’t have a cost – noting that the Department of Corrections at that time already provided voter-registration forms to released inmates as an agency policy.

Mark Nicastre, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said Covey’s ad is a “smear ad that is nearly unprecedented in judicial elections.”

Nearly… here is Jack Panella’s 2009 attack ad against Republican Jane Orie Melvin, and her attack ad against Panella.

Here’s Vic Stabile’s 15 second spot.

And this is a web video that the PA GOP put together in response to Democratic candidate David Wecht’s $300,000 contribution from the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association PAC. Voiceover courtesy of PAGOP spokeswoman Valerie Caras.