Rep. Paddie,
We were disheartened to hear the House State Affairs Committee, of which you chair, is on the verge of approving HB 2578.
On it’s face, we understand this legislation would create a state-run website to house public notices.
While the current amended version of the bill does not eliminate notices in newspapers, quite frankly, We’re concerned this bill is a place-holder for a later amendment to eliminate newspaper notice altogether.
Can you assure the people of Marion County— and all of Texas— that this is not the case? If not, why?
Such a plan would spend taxpayer money to create and operate a public notice website that recreates the wheel.
The Texas Press Association has operated www.texaslegalnotices.com for seven years. Notices from around the state are aggregated into the TPA site at no extra cost to the governmental entity placing the notice.
The TPA site has no paywall, so the public can view the notices free of charge. The content is searchable and sortable by subject matter or location.
The site even offers a free “push” notification service for readers who want to know whenever a particular type of notice that interests them has been posted.
What is wrong with an independent third party hosting such a site? Is it not a conservative value to be leery of trusting government to determine the definition of “transparency?”
For nearly two centuries, newspapers have been the gold standard of public notice in Texas. One of the main reasons: the credibility of having a reputable third party that’s constitutionally independent of government serve as printer (and now webmaster), distributor and archivist — not to mention serving as the signer of an affidavit certifying the authenticity and date of the notice.
No government-operated site can provide that independent credibility.
Public notice is essential to transparency, and transparency is essential to government accountability. Any substantive change to notice demands careful deliberation. The last five weeks of a hectic legislative session isn’t conducive to that.
What about the great majority of citizens in Marion County who have no access to high speed internet? What about the people do, but simply can’t afford it?
A dollar a week for a newspaper is much more affordable than a monthly internet charge.
How are bills like HB 2578 not a means disfranchising poor and rural voters?
We understand you are under pressure to send the bill to the full House for a vote. Don’t succumb to the pressure.
Consider what’s best for the citizens of Marion County and all of rural Texas. Another convoluted government website is not the key to more transparency. It is an insult to the public’s right to know.
Austin L. Lewter & V. Hugh Lewis II
Jefferson Jimplecute
Marion County Herald
jeffersonjimplecute@gmail.com
903-665-2462