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2018 Legislative Reception
ANA defeats Arizona Public Notice HB2148
ANA News
ANA Legislative News Paula Casey, Arizona Newspapers Association (ANA) executive director, and John Moody, ANA legislative lobbyist, were able to work with state legislators to defeat the Public Notice bill HB2148, Feb. 2, on a vote of 1-5(1 absent) in committee. HB2148 would have removed the Second Class postal permit requirement for legal newspapers and basically allowed online publication. The bill, if passed would have had serious impact on the public’s right to access public notices as well as having a potentialy detrimental affect on government transparency. Nationwide, over the past several years, other state legislative bodies have proposed similar bills. Most of these bills would provide government entities with the authority to decide over whether to publish notices in newspapers or on their own websites, which would give government officials the license to punish local papers for coverage they deem unfriendly. Summarizing the bill’s language: “for the purpose of publication of public notices, the statutory definition of “newspaper” would no longer require admission to the United States mail as second-class matter for at least one year”. This bill would have removed the Second Class postal permit requirement for Legal newspapers and basically allowed online publication. The full language og the bill can be downloaded at this link: http://bit.ly/2Femp6R.
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The official start of the 2018 Arizona State Legislature convened January 8. In conjunction, ANA and Arizona Capitol Times hosts its annual Legislators, Publishers and Editors Reception on January 24. This is the one time each year where newspaper publishers and editors can visit with their legislators in an informal and casual setting. ANA members from all parts of the state came to meet with their district representatives and state senators. There were 23 legislators and 43 newspaper members in attendance, some of which included representatives from: Eastern Arizona Courier, Kingman Daily Miner, Navajo Hopi Observer, Larson Newspapers (Sedona), Fountain Hills Times, Green Valley News, Today’s News Herald, Parker Pioneer, Nogales International, AZCIR. During the Regular Session ANA works with great effort to protect the people’s right to know what their government is doing by keeping government records and meetings open as well as protecting public notice. ANA and Arizona Capitol Times would like to thank the following sponors for their support that helped make the evening a success: Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff), Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, The Record Reporter, Wick Communications, The Wickenburg Sun, and Western News&Info.
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The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Finchem (R), Dist. 11, (which straddles two counties, Pinal and Pima, in southcentral Arizona), introduced identical bills during last two legislative sessions: SB2013 in 2017; HB2041 in 2016 – both opposed by ANA, and both of which failed to advance. ANA has met with the members of the House Local and International Affairs Committee (listed below) in opposition to this bill and continues to encourage publishers of newspapers within their legislative districts to personally contact and thank these legislators who stood firm and voted NO on this bill. We need to let them know how much we appreciate their continued support of Arizona’s newspapers. For contact information and further information, please contact Paula Casey at the ANA. House Local & International Affairs Committee: • Tony Rivero (R), Chair, LD21, Vote: Yes • Todd Clodfelter (R), Vice Chair, LD 10, Vote: No. • Drew John (R), LD14, Vote: No. • Becky Nutt (R), LD 14, Vote: No. • Isela Blanc (D), LD26, Vote: No. • Cesar Chavez (D), LD29, Vote: Absent. • Rosanna Gabaldon (D), LD2, Vote: No.
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