State legislators are looking for ways to pare down a budget deficit projected to be $4.6 billion in 201113, and ease recessionary burdens on local governments too.
SB5360 ( http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5360&year=2011 ) and HB1478 ( http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2011&bill=1478 ) would allow cities and counties to place public notices on their Web sites instead of publishing them in their local newspapers. The idea: to save local governments the cost of publishing those notices in print.
But those savings would be minimal, particularly compared to the resulting disintegration of the public’s access to information about what their government is doing.
The publishing of public notices in newspapers of record dates to 1789, when the first Congress required publication of its bills, orders, resolutions and votes in at least three publicly available newspapers. The purpose was to require government to report its actions to its citizens in a medium that is independent of government.
Publishing public notices in a newspaper of record ensures that decisions related to public debt, laws, policy, taxation and quality of life are made in the open. It empowers the public to get involved. And it contributes to a reservoir of archived material in a form that cannot be altered, changed, hacked, hidden or manipulated after the fact.
Newspaper publication of public notices is an insurance policy that notices are disseminated to the public at the proper times and in proper sequence. Publication of each notice is verified and authenticated by the newspaper’s publisher.
If government Web sites become the sole source of public notices, there would be no way to secure that verification and it would be more difficult for the community to monitor accuracy and compliance with applicable laws.
Public notices published in local newspapers provide citizens with a window into their government. The public should not have to hunt down notices on a variety of government or departmental Web sites.
Let your legislator know (
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/ ) you want the public notices provision of SB5360 and HB1478 removed.
In an age of audience fragmentation, the local newspaper remains the one forum in which the community comes together to exchange information of common interest — including, most certainly, the activities of local government.
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Editorial: Raid on public rights (Pt. Townsend Leader) — http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=28554
A commitment to open government is not negotiable (Lake Chelan Mirror) — http://www.lakechelanmirror.com/main.asp?SubSectionID=10&ArticleID=3428&SectionID=10
A commitment to open government is not negotiable (Cashmere Valley Record) — http://www.cashmerevalleyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=10&SubSectionID=10&ArticleID=4084
Legislature could make info less accessible (Issaquah Press) — http://www.issaquahpress.com/2011/01/25/press-editorial-legislature-could-make-info-less-accessible/
Duly notified? (Methow Valley News) — http://www.methowvalleynews.com/opinion.php
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*****PIERCE COUNTY LEGISLATORS*****
— DISTRICT 2 —
Senator Randi Becker (R)
P. O. Box 40402
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7602
becker.randi@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jim McCune (R)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7824
mccune.jim@leg.wa.gov
Rep. J. T. wilcox (R)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7912
wilcox.jt@leg.wa.gov
— DISTRICT 25 —
Senator Jim Kastama (D)
P. O. Box 40425
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7648
kastama.jim@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Bruce Dammeier (R)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7948
dammeier.bruce@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Hans Zeiger (D)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7968
zeiger.hans@leg.wa.gov
— DISTRICT 26 —
Senator Derek Kilmer (D)
P. O. Box 40426
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7650
kilmer.derek@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jan Angel (R)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7964
angel.jan@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Larry Seaquist (D)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7802
seaquist.larry@leg.wa.gov
— DISTRICT 27 —
Senator Debbie Regala (D)
P. O. Box 40427
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7652
regala.debbie@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7930
jinkins.laurie@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jeannie Darneille (D)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7974
darneille.jeannie@leg.wa.gov
— DISTRICT 28 —
Senator Mike Carrell (R)
P. O. Box 40428
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7654
carrell.mike@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Troy Kelley (D)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7890
kelley.troy@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tami Green (D)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7958
green.tami@leg.wa.gov
— DISTRICT 29 —
Senator Steve Conway (D)
P. O. Box 40429
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7656
conway.steve@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Connie Ladenburg (D)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7906
ladenburg.connie@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Steve Kirby (D)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7996
kirby.steve@leg.wa.gov
— DISTRICT 31 —
Senator Pam Roach (R)
P. O. Box 40431
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7660
roach.pam@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Cathy Dahlquist (R)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7846
dahlquist.cathy@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Christopher Hurst (D)
P. O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 786-7866
hurst.christopher@leg.wa.gov
