HB353--NEWSPAPERS
SPONSOR: McGaugh
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
LocalGovernmentbyavoteof12to0.
Currently,inordertoqualifytorunpublicnoticesand
advertisements, anewspapermusthavebeenpublishedregularlyfor
aperiodofthreeyears;ormustbethesuccessornewspapertoa
defunctnewspaperandbeginpublicationnolaterthan30daysafter
theterminationofthepriornewspaper.
Thisbillreducesthetimeperiodofregularpublicationfromthree
yearstooneyear,andincreasesthetimeperiodfrom30daysto90
dayswithinwhichasuccessornewspapermustbeginpublication.
Thebillalsoallowsanewspaperthathasbeenpurchasedornewly
establishedbyanothernewspaperthatsatisfiestheseconditionsto
qualify.
ThisbillisthesameasHB2301(2024)and782(2023).
PROPONENTS: SupporterssaythatMissourihasoneofthelongest
periodsrequiredbeforeanewly-establishedpapercanrunpublic
noticesandadvertisements. Noticeshelpspreadneededinformation
tothepublicandcanhelpkeepstrugglingpapersopen.Oneyear
isstilltoolongforabadactortoexploitthisprocess.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative McGaugh;
MunicipalLeagueofMetroSt.Louis;RichardDouglasCrews,
MissouriPressAssociation;andArnieDienoff.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.