April saw an uptick in legislative activity surrounding public notice issues as many states approached the date they’re scheduled to adjourn. Press groups in Minnesota and Louisiana found themselves in scramble mode as public notice bills they opposed began moving. Although neither situation has been completely resolved, they appear to be headed in the right direction for residents of each state who care about government transparency.
Minnesota
In mid-April, the Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA) went into overdrive to prevent school boards from being allowed to post notices of official proceedings on their own websites as an alternative to publishing them in local newspapers. MNA’s lobbying effort was focused on a provision amended into the Senate version of the legislature’s omnibus education policy bill supported by the Minnesota School Boards Association.