In case you haven't noticed, there have been quite a few editorials in the past few weeks about items tucked in the proposed budget that don't belong there. Here's another one.
The Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday approved after four minutes of discussion a provision in the budget that would allow state government agencies to post legal notices on their own Web sites rather than in the newspaper. The vote was 12-4, with only four Republicans in opposition. One of them, Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, correctly pointed out that the policy change should be debated independent of the budget.
This is an "exact wrong policy item to not have a vigorous public policy debate on like we have not done yet in this legislative session," Vos said.
Rep. Gary Sherman, D-Port Wing, however, said the item does belong in the budget because it will save government agencies money. They can post their legal notices online for free. Yet no one can say how much money the state can save - the Legislative Fiscal Bureau hasn't had time to evaluate the provision or detail any downsides. Maintaining a Web site does not come without costs.
Yes, newspapers have a financial stake in this policy change. The "state newspaper" - the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison - is directly impacted. But have no doubt that once state agencies are allowed to post legal notices on their own Web sites, it won't be long before all governmental bodies are given that freedom.
The real public threat in the change isn't to the financial well-being of newspapers, it's to the public's access to what are supposed to be public notices.
Peter Fox, executive director of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, said it well when he told the Wisconsin State Journal, "Instead of government having the responsibility to push information out to the public, it now becomes the responsibility of the average citizen to take time out of their busy day and go to government. It just isn't right."
Allowing state agencies - and perhaps eventually all local governmental bodies - to post notices on their own Web sites violates the first primary element to what constitutes a public notice. That element is that a public notice is published in a forum independent of the government, to provide a neutral and independent reporter. A public notice also is supposed to be capable of being accessed by all elements of society.
A newspaper can be accessed by anyone. A government Web site cannot. Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, pointed out Tuesday before voting against the proposal that there are citizens who have no access to the Internet or who wouldn't know what to do with it if they had it.
This is another attempt by government to take public information out of the hands of the public. Hopefully, the Joint Finance Committee will reconsider, the Legislature will reject it, or Gov. Jim Doyle will veto the item.
The Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday approved after four minutes of discussion a provision in the budget that would allow state government agencies to post legal notices on their own Web sites rather than in the newspaper. The vote was 12-4, with only four Republicans in opposition. One of them, Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, correctly pointed out that the policy change should be debated independent of the budget.
This is an "exact wrong policy item to not have a vigorous public policy debate on like we have not done yet in this legislative session," Vos said.
Rep. Gary Sherman, D-Port Wing, however, said the item does belong in the budget because it will save government agencies money. They can post their legal notices online for free. Yet no one can say how much money the state can save - the Legislative Fiscal Bureau hasn't had time to evaluate the provision or detail any downsides. Maintaining a Web site does not come without costs.
Yes, newspapers have a financial stake in this policy change. The "state newspaper" - the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison - is directly impacted. But have no doubt that once state agencies are allowed to post legal notices on their own Web sites, it won't be long before all governmental bodies are given that freedom.
The real public threat in the change isn't to the financial well-being of newspapers, it's to the public's access to what are supposed to be public notices.
Peter Fox, executive director of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, said it well when he told the Wisconsin State Journal, "Instead of government having the responsibility to push information out to the public, it now becomes the responsibility of the average citizen to take time out of their busy day and go to government. It just isn't right."
Allowing state agencies - and perhaps eventually all local governmental bodies - to post notices on their own Web sites violates the first primary element to what constitutes a public notice. That element is that a public notice is published in a forum independent of the government, to provide a neutral and independent reporter. A public notice also is supposed to be capable of being accessed by all elements of society.
A newspaper can be accessed by anyone. A government Web site cannot. Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, pointed out Tuesday before voting against the proposal that there are citizens who have no access to the Internet or who wouldn't know what to do with it if they had it.
This is another attempt by government to take public information out of the hands of the public. Hopefully, the Joint Finance Committee will reconsider, the Legislature will reject it, or Gov. Jim Doyle will veto the item.
