A bill that would allow cities and counties to post certain public notices online instead of printing them in newspapers failed Wednesday morning in a committee vote in the Arkansas House of Representatives.
The Committee on City, County and Local Affairs rejected House Bill 1616, which was an amended version of House Bill 1399.
Rep. Frances Cavenaugh, R-Walnut Ridge, filed HB1399 on Feb. 9 and HB1616 on March 13.
"Because we made so many revisions to it, because this is agreed-upon language, we just filed a new bill," Cavenaugh told the committee.
Cavenaugh said the bill's language was agreed upon between the committee and the Arkansas Press Association.
"What the agreed-upon language is that for five years nothing's going to change," said Cavenaugh. "But in five years, the cities and counties will have the option to go ahead and publish on an independent website their notices — all their notices with the exception of delinquent taxes and certifications.
"And when they start to print on a website, they will still have to go ahead and print in the newspaper where they can find it at."
Mark Lane, president of WEHCO Newspapers Inc., which publishes the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, spoke against the bill, saying it wasn't in the best interests of Arkansans.
"In fact, it's a lose-lose-lose bill," he said. "Arkansans lose, newspapers lose, and in my opinion the government loses. Our company simply cannot acquiesce in good conscience. It's wrong today, and it's going to be wrong five years from today. Our position of transparency remains the primary reason this bill is flawed, and yes, it's also about the money."
Lane said a quick fiscal-impact study conducted after HB1399 was introduced indicated it would save cities and counties $94,000 over a two-year period.
"But its impact on newspapers and government transparency in Arkansas would be much greater, he said. "If this bill passes, newspapers will close, employees will lose their jobs ..." said Lane."The decrease in transparency caused by this bill will have consequences that'll be felt throughout the state. If you lose your local newspapers, studies have shown statistically noticeable increases in government corruption, increased taxes, increased costs in borrowing through bonds. Is that's what's best for Arkansans? ...
"Without legal [advertising] revenue, no newspaper in Arkansas can survive."