The fight to keep public notices in newspapers across the United States has now spilled over into Arkansas. "HB 1836 filed late last week seeks to remove the requirement for cities and counties to publish their public notices in newspapers and allow them to post the public notices on their respective websites," reports the Arkansas Press Association.
This is Arkansas' latest bill proposed this session to join a host of other bills that are picking away at the Freedom of Information Act, which celebrated its 50th year on Feb. 14.
Tom Larimer, executive director of the APA, said in the editorial that the language of HB 1836 has been introduced before and the arguments against it are still the same. "Internet connectivity remains sparse in large portions of the state. Posting these public notices to a web site would disenfranchise a large chunk of Arkansas’ population."
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Karilyn Brown of Sherwood, is expected to be discussed on the House City, County and Local Affairs Committee agenda next week, APA writes. Larimer pointed out that "if the goal is to put public notices online, they are already online."
By removing the requirement of public notices to run in newspapers, is the small amount of savings worth the loss of a transparent government? "The public notices are on there and at no cost to government at any level,” Larimer said. “They’re not going to find a better bargain.”
Sunshine Week, which celebrates open government, is from March 13-19.
This is Arkansas' latest bill proposed this session to join a host of other bills that are picking away at the Freedom of Information Act, which celebrated its 50th year on Feb. 14.
Tom Larimer, executive director of the APA, said in the editorial that the language of HB 1836 has been introduced before and the arguments against it are still the same. "Internet connectivity remains sparse in large portions of the state. Posting these public notices to a web site would disenfranchise a large chunk of Arkansas’ population."
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Karilyn Brown of Sherwood, is expected to be discussed on the House City, County and Local Affairs Committee agenda next week, APA writes. Larimer pointed out that "if the goal is to put public notices online, they are already online."
By removing the requirement of public notices to run in newspapers, is the small amount of savings worth the loss of a transparent government? "The public notices are on there and at no cost to government at any level,” Larimer said. “They’re not going to find a better bargain.”
Sunshine Week, which celebrates open government, is from March 13-19.
from The Rural Blog http://ift.tt/2ne7IaJ Arkansas legislators' war on transparency broadens to include newspapers' public notices - Entrepreneur Generations
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