Newspapers in California, a state that often sets trends for the rest of the nation, have beaten back a bill that would have allowed local governments to publish new ordinances on government Web sites rather than publishing a summary in a general-circulation newspaper. Newspapers, especially those in rural areas, see such legislation as a threat to their revenue bases and to government transparency.
The California Newspaper Publishers Association credited "the many letters and personal communications between CNPA members and the five senators on the Senate Local Government Committee" for the panel's unamimous decision this week to sit on the bill. "Before holding the bill, each committee member spoke about the importance of community newspapers in informing citizens, especially in rural communities," reports the CNPA Legislative Bulletin. "Three of the members said that in the future changes in the way people receive information brought by the Internet and technology might cause them to reconsider the bill."
For more information contact CNPA General Counsel Tom Newton at 916.288.6015 or tom@cnpa.com.
1 comment:
It's absolutely insane for the government to force publication of legal notices in expensive print when online alternatives are more cost effective, are more searchable and have equal reach.
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