Proposed publication change faces opposition

DES MOINES – A proposal to shift the publication of governmental legal notices from newspapers to Internet-based and electronic means has run into legislative opposition and may not move forward, a key lawmaker said today.

“I would say the publication (provision) is out,” said Sen. Staci Appel, D-Ackworth, who is managing a state government reorganization and efficiency bill that is slated for action by the Senate State Government Committee later today.

There also likely will be an effort at some point in the legislative process to remove a proposal to close the mental health institute at Mount Pleasant and move services provided there to an MHI in Independence, she said.

Appel made the comments following a closed-door discussion of Senate Study Bill 3030 by the Senate's 32 majority Democrats. Senators cautioned that the bill is a work in progress and that any savings that are pared from the measure will have to be made up with cuts in other state budget areas.

As currently drafted, the legislation is projected to save state government more than $77 million over the next two fiscal years and nearly $56.5 million for local governments and other funds, according to a fiscal impact statement prepared by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. The proposed legislation also could generate more than $19 million in new revenue.

Appel said the projected savings likely will increase as more sections are added to the bill that weren't included in the initial draft.

The proposed publication change would allow state agencies and local governmental entities to notify by the public of open meetings, elections, hearings and other actions via electronic means, such as Internet Web sites, rather than via legal notices in newspapers and other publications.

Backers say the change could save local governmental entities up to $10 million a year, with the Iowa League of Cities projecting yearly savings of $2.97 million and the Iowa State Association of Counties estimating up to $3.6 million in yearly savings for Iowa's 99 counties. The Iowa Newspaper Association opposes the change and critics note that many Iowans still are not equipped with computers to access electronic notices.

Sen. Eugene Fraise, D-Fort Madison, said he will try to remove the proposed closure of the MHI in Mount Pleasant because he does not believe the move would save the state much money.

“That's my desire,” he said. “We'll see how it all shakes out.”

The bill is part of a big-picture effort by Gov. Chet Culver and the Legislature to streamline, reorganize and reform government operations in hopes of achieving savings that will help balance the fiscal 2011 budget.

“The state, through our efficiency review, we've identified up to $1.5 billion in savings over the next five years,” Culver said today. “We hope to move forward on an efficiency and reorganization bill this session.”

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