HB782--PUBLICATIONINNEWSPAPERS
SPONSOR: McGaugh
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
GovernmentEfficiencyandDownsizingbyavoteof13to0.
Currently,inordertoqualifyaslegallyacceptabletorunpublic
noticesandadvertisements, anewspapermusthavebeenpublished
regularlyforaperiodofthreeyears;ormustbethesuccessor
newspapertoadefunctnewspaperandbeganpublicationnolater
than30daysaftertheterminationofthepriornewspaper.
Thisbillreducesthetimeperiodofregularpublicationfromthree
yearstooneyear,andincreasesthetimeperiodfrom30daysto90
dayswithinwhichasuccessornewspapermustbeginpublication.
Thebillalsoallowsanewspaperthathasbeenpurchasedornewly
establishedbyanothernewspaperthatsatisfiestheseconditionsto
qualify.
ThisbillisthesameasHB2289(2022).
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthepublicationofpublicnotices
innewspapersisavitalcomponenttotransparencyandgood
government. Therelationshipbetweenlocalpapersandpolitical
subdivisionsissymbiotic,helpingtheformersurviveandthe
latterbetterservetheirconstituents. Shorteningthetimea
papermustoperatebeforeitcanstartpublishingpublicnotices
willbringMissouriinlinewithotherstatesandallowthe
benefitsofpublicnoticestooccurmorequicklyforsmall
communities. Lengtheningthetimeperiodforsuccessornewspapers
willgivethemmoretimetobecomeestablishedbeforetakingona
largeworkloadandpublicresponsibility.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Mcgaugh;
MissouriCountyCollectorsAssociation;MunicipalLeagueMetroSt.
Louis;andMissouriPressAssociation.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.