Everything cannot be about the money. It has to be about open and honest government.

There is a move afoot in the general assembly to eliminate the legal requirement of publishing legal notices in paid, print publications.

Kentucky has never allowed publishing the legals in a non-subscription or stand purchased publication. Free newspapers such as The Greenup Beacon or full market advertising shoppers are not eligible.

Now a republican representative from Jefferson County Jerry Miller has introduced legislation to remove paid public notices from newspapers and instead post them for free on local government websites.

This legislation labeled House Bill 195, is now and has always been opposed by the Kentucky Press Association.

KPA, of which The Greenup Beacon is a member, represents 178 newspapers has always opposed this and KPA Executive Director David T. Thompson says this would defeat the purpose.

These public notices should never be left under the control of any government agencies or any entity which must publish items to the general public.

And I will tell you exactly why. If something, which must be published, is controversial or would draw attention to those items would either never make the website as published or would or could be altered from its original state. No one would be the wiser.

This decision absolutely does not protect government transparency.

While over the years certain elements of legal publication have been amended to lessen what is published. In general, it should remain unchanged.

The law now states public notices must be published in general circulation newspapers. The notices include details about taxes, foreclosures, rezoning, land taking, contract bids, school budgets and other government intentions and actions.

Many newspapers post them to their own websites to help enhance the number of people who can view them.

From my perspective it is an attempt to not only hurt local publications but to bring into question the validity of what is published.

I am not pointing specific fingers, I am only saying that it is something that can happen.

It is not unlike the live streaming and archiving videos from public meetings.

As many know The Greenup Beacon and Beacon Media Group live streams the Greenup County Fiscal Court meetings.

Normally our audience runs about 1000. In addition to that we post it for those who can’t watch live but do watch it when they are off work or time is available, etc.

The January meeting, which included the Second Amendment resolution, garnered over 6,700 viewers to watch the proceedings.

The video in its entirety is posted at facebook.com/greenup.beacon. Once there on the left side click videos and scroll down until you find it.

I say all this to make the point that there is absolutely no editing of the video. No one can say, “hey, let’s cut that out before we post it.”

I do not believe anyone here would do that. None of our cities or counties or other government entities.

With that said, here is not everywhere and believe me I have lived and worked places that would absolutely do that without a doubt.

I see this legislation as move to the future. I certainly do not support it. We do not have a dog in the fight since we do not publish legal announcements as a rule  as an official publication. The law does not state where legals can be published it only says where they MUST be published.

The Press Association maintains a central website (kypublicnotice.com) for local newspaper public notices, making them searchable to the public by city, county, date of publication and newspaper title. This has been available for almost a decade. David Thompson of KPA says planning began about 2010 and went live in 2012.

Rep. Miller, who represents metro Louisville’s 6th legislative district, said towns, cities, schools and taxing districts should not be required to advertise public notices in newspapers at a time the people mostly get information on electronic devices.

He also objects to the expense of advertising public notices in print. He said the Louisville -Jefferson County Metro Government, on which he once served, spends about $430,000 annually on public notices, and that school board officials told him they spent more than $1 million.

Miller’s bill does require local governments to publish a one-time advertisement in the newspaper informing the public where to find the public notices on what government websites.

Failure to do so could result in a small court fine if anyone objects and files a legal action to enforce the penalty.

Who can possibly afford to do that? Thus, once changed, changed forever.

The press association’s Thompson said transferring public notices from newspapers to local government websites could result in added costs for rural communities and counties with dated computer systems.

He also said the change would result in fewer residents being informed about important legal and other matters. He said it would adversely affect seniors without Internet capabilities, lower-income residents, and those rural regions without good Internet service.

Many seniors do not utilize any sort of electronic device other than possibly for phone calls.

Less than five years ago some counties only had 65 percent utilizing Internet based on availability and computers were even less.

But the most important objection is the threat to government transparency and the right of the people to know what their local officials are doing on the public’s behalf, said Thompson.

“We feel government agencies should not control what information they make available to the people,” he said. “Letting them put it on their website when they want, where they want it and how they want it is wrong.”

I’ve known David for more than 40 years. I know he does have the best interest of the association at heart but many do not know David was a very successful newspaper publisher prior to assuming his position.

Let your legislators know this is not a good piece of legislation and to oppose it.

Thanks for your time and interest . . . to me this is very important. It should be to you as well.

And so, for another week, thanks and thirty.