If you listen to the Arkansas Press Association, you will get the impression some legislators are trying to hide government legal notices from you. You will see messages from the association like:
WHAT WILL BE HIDDEN?
KEEP PUBLIC NOTICES IN NEWSPAPERS
DON’T LET SOME ARKANSAS LAWMAKERS REMOVE YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW.
The association is talking about HB1399 by Representative Fran Cavanaugh (R-Walnut Ridge) with co-sponsors Senator Flippo and Representatives Bentley, K. Brown, C. Cooper, Cozart, Eaves, C. Fite, Gramlich, Haak, G. Hodges, Ladyman, Long, Lynch, McGrew, Milligan, Painter, Rye, Warren, Burkes, B. Davis, K. Hammer, Hester, M. McKee, C. Penzo, and J. Petty.
The bill proposes to shift local government public notices from newspapers to the internet. Instead of hiding the notices, as has been suggested by the Press Association, the bill proposes to reach a broad audience with much less cost.
Where do you get your news? A newspaper thrown out on your lawn or from the internet? If you are one of the dwindling number of Arkansans with a newspaper subscription do you actually get a physical copy of the newspaper or do you access it through the internet?
Those are important questions when it comes to deciding whether as a taxpayer you should still be paying to put city and county notices in a newspaper.
There was a time when nearly every household received a newspaper on their front lawn. Laws were written to require cities and counties to publish government notices in the newspapers. Those laws ensured more of the public would be informed than if the notices were simply posted on a courthouse bulletin board.
The publication of notices in a newspaper came at a cost to taxpayers because the newspapers don’t publish the notices for free. Still, it was a good method to get the word out back in 1940 or even 1972.
Today most households have internet access and so do all or nearly all public libraries. Meanwhile, newspapers reach fewer and fewer paid subscribers. Plus, many newspapers have shifted to publication on the internet which leaves subscribers needing access to the internet in addition to the cost of a subscription to read their newspaper.
Yes, some Arkansans do not have any form of internet access whether through home access or cell phone, but of that number how many are spending money to subscribe to a newspaper and can still get a hard copy newspaper. Not many. Times have changed.
The Arkansas Press Association wants you to know it republishes government notices from the local newspapers on a free website: arkansaspublicnotices.com. But it is not really free. Taxpayers first must pay newspapers to publish the notices in newspapers and then the newspapers upload the notices to the internet.
HB1399 proposes to cut out the cost of publishing city and county notices in local papers, while reaching the public through the biggest source of news – the internet.
Everyone wants their local newspapers to succeed but few people would want to hand their newspapers a taxpayer funded subsidy, and that is what the requirement to publish city and county notices in newspapers have become.
HB1399 doesn’t hide anything from the public. It just cuts unnecessary costs to taxpayers.
Let your legislators know what you think. As a taxpayer do you want to save money while preserving the public right to know?
