• 39°
Hartselle Enquirer

Editorial: There is no accountability in HB106

Newspapers have a long history of serving as watchdogs for their communities, holding local officials accountable, and shining light on issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. Requiring government bodies to continue to print public notices in newspapers is a key step in ensuring that these important watchdog functions are preserved. However, there is currently a bill in the Alabama House of Representatives that would sound a death-knell for local government transparency and accountability. Proponents of HB106 claim government notices in Alabama should be published on government-controlled websites, instead of in newspapers, because it is easier and costs less money. But is that true? The cost of running public notices represents a tiny fraction of the mind-boggling budgets of most local governments. And what government officials don’t talk about is the expense of designing, operating, properly maintaining, and updating those websites. If done right, the costs would erase most, if not all, of the savings from eliminating public notices in newspapers. In truth, it’s not really the cost of public notices governments are most worried about, it’s the ability to control the dissemination of the information those notices contain. And therein lies the great concern of local newspapers throughout the state, who believe this fight is truly about transparency in government, and keeping citizens informed about what their tax dollars are supporting, and what their political leaders are doing. Where is the accountability in HB106? There is none. Legislators can’t guarantee the posting of public notices on government-controlled websites will be free from manipulation or abuse. Also, we know all too well that websites can be hacked, updated, altered, or deleted at any time. The public notice process for newspapers, however, ensures the information presented is correct; requires a notice to be published for a specific amount of time; and generates an affidavit that serves as proof that the notice ran correctly. Without the requirement of notarized affidavits, how will citizens know the notices on government-run websites ran correctly, or for the right amount of time? Also, the public is far less likely to see a public notice on a government-run website because those sites typically have far fewer visitors than newspapers and newspaper websites. Currently, public notices printed in newspapers have triple exposure to Alabama citizens. It begins with print – a format that cannot be changed and offers permanence. Placement in print requires the notice to be posted on the newspaper’s website and on alabamapublicnotices.com. Those three elements offer the maximum exposure possible for public notices. It is the job of local newspapers to serve as a check on government, not the government to check itself. If legislators were truly concerned about providing effective service to their constituents, they would leave legal notices in newspapers, which provides the transparency and accountability every Alabama citizen deserves. Ask your local House members to consider these issues when HB106 comes up for a vote and urge them to vote “NO.”

 

At a Glance

PowerGrid Services in Hartselle evacuated for bomb threat

Morgan County

20 under 40: Trey Chowning

Falkville

20 under 40: TJ Holmes

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Spencer Bell

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Shelby Keenum

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Rachel Howard

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Mary Virgina Halbrooks

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Maggie McKelvey

Decatur

20 under 40: Maegan Jones

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Lindsey Tapscott

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

‘He lets us have sex’: More details emerge on Hartselle man accused of child exploitation 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Hartselle church creates Easter-themed escape rooms 

Danville

Family tradition: State livestock show legacy spans generations

Editor's picks

Baseball for Beau: More than $8k raised for scholarship named after Hartselle child  

Falkville

20 under 40: Lela Weeks

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Kalleigh Thomas

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Jaime Hatcher

Hartselle

Veteran Hartselle firefighter charged with possessing child porn

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Cerrowire expansion named finalist in Business Alabama Awards  

At a Glance

Work begins on repairing two bridges over I-65 in Morgan County in coming weeks

At a Glance

Tickets for Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame banquet available

Falkville

Morgan County volunteers celebrated at annual fire department banquet 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Man jailed for stealing car from jail after earlier release 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Police: Hartselle man encouraged children to have sex inside his apartment

x