As newspapers flounder in some communities, local government groups want the Pennsylvania legislature to change a state law that requires municipalities to publish public notices in a community’s paper of record. Two bills have been introduced that would allow digital public notices. Public notices are legal advertisements that share information about annual budgets, bids for supplies and services, ordinances, and meetings and hearings. Mandatory legal notices ensure basic government transparency and allow residents to participate in the decision-making process. Proponents of the change argue that the internet reaches more people than traditional media, and local governments that don’t have websites would be incentivized to create them, improving transparency. Local governing bodies across the commonwealth could also potentially save tens of millions of dollars using websites rather than newspapers, according to Dave Sanko, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. Opponents of the idea point to the lack of reliable broadband in areas of Pennsylvania and say newspapers are independent third parties that serve as a one-stop shop for the public to find information it needs. Read more from Spotlight PA.
Source: Gettysburg Connection; 7/15/2024