1. Public Notice Resource Center
www. pnrc.net
(703)

2. Recent Headlines
• Bill would reduce public notice for foreclosures • Legal notice legislation again rears its ugly head • Lafayette vote to decide printed legal notice

3. The 3-legged stool of accountability
Public Records
Public Notices
Public Meetings

4. Elements of Public Notice
• Independent
• Archivable
• Accessible
• Verifiable

5. Trying to Redefine Public Notice
• States trying to replace public notice in newspapers with posting on state government Internet sites • Federal agencies trying to replace public notice in newspapers with posting on government Internet sites • Some businesses trying to replace public notice in newspapers with Internet site postings or eliminate public notice altogether (Mortgage foreclosures, storage facilities)

6. Publishing Public Notice: Newspaper Print v. Website
• Reliable
• Archivable (Permanent)
• Unchangeable (Authentic)

7. Websites: No Guarantee of Continuous Publication

8. Not Just Government Websites

9. Other Access Problems
• Pew Research Center, “Americans and their cell phones” August found 20% frustrated with download time and 16% had difficulty reading things on their phone
• Please note that even public notice accessed by mobile phones presents problems because there are archive, access, and verify issues

10. Websites: Not Permanent
L.A. Times, June 15, 2011
“Federal government to delete half its websites”

11. Websites: Not Long-term
THE WASHINGTON POST, JULY 17, 2011
“Old Dominion U. professor is trying to save Internet history”

12. Readership: Newspapers v. Government Sites
• Newspapers are circulated
• Newspapers have paid subscribers
• Newspapers carry current news

13. Government Sites
• Pew Research Center, “Government Online” April 2010 found that 52% of Internet users have NOT looked at state or federal government Internet sites for policies issues (Survey did not distinguish between government employees and the public) • George Washington University ,“Citizen Use of Digital Media to Connect with Government Yields a Mixed Picture” 27 October 2010 found 35% never used government Internet site for information

14. Surveys
• Kentucky 84 % of Kentucky adults read a daily, Sunday or weekly newspaper during an average week
• Wisconsin 78% of residents believe state and local governments should publish public notices in newspapers
• NNA Community newspapers continue to show strong readership, community reliance

15. Sample Legislative Trends
• Tennessee HB1920/SB1299 (Dead) Reduced foreclosure notice in newspaper from three to one • Florida HB 459 (Dead) Eliminated self service storage operator’s responsibility to publish auction announcements in newspapers

16. Continued… • Ohio (budget bill) • Utah SB 85 (Passed)
Redefines newspaper of general circulation
No longer requires newspapers of opposite politics to publish identical public notices
• Utah SB 85 (Passed)
Rolled back a public notice law enacted two years ago that removed mandatory public notice from newspapers in Utah’s urban counties after 2012 and allowed notices to be posted on websites

17. Keeping Public Notice In Print
• Know Your Legislators • Attend Legislative Hearings • Provide Great Customer Service (Including publishing newspaper on-line and print)

18. Print and Internet Notice

19. PNRC’s Role • Develop Educational Information on Public Notice
• Provide Vital Legislative and Regulatory Analysis
• Develop Educational Information on Public Notice
• Monitor Various Industries for Potential Public Notice Issues

20. Continued……
• Of Record (newsletter that outlines the latest public notice developments) • Internet site dedicated to information on public notice ( • Presentations that contain the latest news and developments

21. A Sample of PNRC’s Summer Accomplishments
• Letter to DHHS on Medicaid Notices • Letter to DOJ on Forfeiture Notices • Public Notice Talking Points

22. Your Resource for Information on Public Notice

23. Latest Developments

24. Conclusion
David Placher PNRC P.O. Box 5337 Arlington, VA (703)