Kasich includes legal advertising reform in budget proposal
Lead Summary
By
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The Highland County Press
Staff Report
Ohio Gov. John Kasich has included reforms to the state's legal advertisement requirements that could save taxpayers millions, annually, according to Ohio Sen. David Daniels, R-Greenfield.
Daniels and State Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, held a town hall meeting in February, during which Highland County Press owner Rory Ryan presented information in support of legal advertising reform.
According to Daniels, the governor's budget proposal includes the following language for legal advertising:
Ohio Revised Code Section 7.16. (A) As used in this section:
(1) "State agency" has the meaning defined in section 1.60 of the Revised Code, and includes state institutions of higher education as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.
(2) "Political subdivision" has the meaning defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code.
(B)(1) Notwithstanding any statute or rule that requires a state agency or political subdivision to publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation, the state agency or political subdivision may choose not to publish the notice in a newspaper of general circulation, and instead to publish the notice on the state public notice website established by the office of information technology under section 125.182 of the Revised Code.
In addition, the state agency or political subdivision may publish the notice on its website.
Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, publication of a notice on the state public notice website is in lieu of newspaper publication that is otherwise required.
A state agency or political subdivision that is required to publish a notice may submit a copy of the notice and a request for publication on the state public notice website to the office of information technology. The state agency or political subdivision shall identify, in the notice or in the request for publication, the provision of the statute or rule that requires the notice to be published. The state agency or political subdivision, may, but is not required to, prepare the request on the form that is available on the state public notice website.
(2) A state agency or political subdivision that publishes a notice on the state public notice website in lieu of complying with the statute or rule that otherwise requires newspaper publication, nevertheless shall publish an abbreviated notice in a newspaper of general circulation. The abbreviated notice shall provide a brief summary of the notice, a reference to the state public notice website address where the complete notice may be found, and a telephone number to call for more information.
(C) A state agency or political subdivision that publishes a notice in compliance with a statute or rule also may publish the notice on the state public notice web site in addition to publishing the notice as otherwise required by the statute or rule.
In addition to meeting with Daniels and Rosenberger, Ryan has been in communication with the governor's office, as well as other area lawmakers in support of the reform initiatives.
"Given the hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars that have been, in certain political years, allocated to state-mandated legal notices, not to mention the thousands of dollars spent on the local level in all 88 counties, clearly it is time for serious reform," Ryan said.
"Granted, this may seem like a rather insignificant amount given the state’s multi-billion-dollar budget; however, as the old saying goes, “A couple of hundred thousand dollars here, and a couple of hundred thousand there, and pretty soon we’re talking real money.”
Ryan said Ohio House Bill 345 recently attempted to address the issue by allowing certain political subdivisions to make Internet publications in lieu of newspaper publication requirements. However, Ryan said, the newspaper industry’s corporate ownerships successfully campaigned against a proposal in the Ohio budget bill which would have allowed government entities to post small, condensed versions of their respective legal notices in newspapers, with references to the corresponding government website for the full text of the specific legal notice.
The governor's proposal allows the the state agency or political subdivision to choose not to publish the notice in a newspaper, and instead to publish the notice on the state public notice website.
Ryan cited one recent election alone that cost taxpayers more than $300,000 in advertising expenses related to the publication of proposed constitutional amendments during the General Election. In 2005, a Wilmington newspaper (through its parent company) billed the Clinton County Board of Elections some $59,169.33 for legal advertising costs.
"This was among the most exorbitant expenses to taxpayers in the entire state that year," Ryan said.
According to public records provided by the Clinton County Board of Elections, that newspaper also submitted bills for $30,000 for printing costs and $13,275.42 for other legal advertising and inserts.
Ryan gave the lawmakers copies of the invoice from the Clinton County Board of Elections.
Last year, Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley informed the Highland County Board of Commissioners that his office had received a bill of almost $13,900 from The Times-Gazette in Hillsboro – a sister publication to the Wilmington paper – for publishing the annual delinquent land tax legal notices. This was a significant increase over previous invoices for similar notices and exceeded the auditor’s budget.
After The Highland County Press editorialized on this expense to taxpayers in its Feb. 20, 2010 edition, the legal bill was reduced by $4,196.40 to $9,632.
In his February meeting with local lawmakers, Ryan presented legislation that had been proposed by Ohio lawmakers such as Kathleen Chandler, Robert Hagan, Raymond Pryor, Tom Letson, Kenny Yuko and John Domenick that would amend Ohio law on legal advertisement requirements.
"By reforming the state law and allowing additional publications an opportunity to bid on the legal advertisements, and by allowing these notices to be placed on the respective public websites, taxpayers across the state would save hundreds of thousands of dollars each year," Ryan said.
"Millions," Daniels said.
Daniels said this is an issue that he would be "happy" to work on, because he could see it resulting in a savings to the taxpayers, in a time when the state is looking for areas to make cuts.
"We're kind of in a position now where a lot of these issues have been ignored in the past, and they're just thrust upon us. And it's too bad they have been pushed off," Daniels said.
"Now, we're looking at nickels and dimes to end up making $8 billion. I think that we're probably going to see some proposals come out, hopefully, in this year's executive budget. I'm hoping that we see this as it comes out from the administration. If not, I am happy to be working on this issue as it goes through the budgetary process."[[In-content Ad]]
Staff Report
Ohio Gov. John Kasich has included reforms to the state's legal advertisement requirements that could save taxpayers millions, annually, according to Ohio Sen. David Daniels, R-Greenfield.
Daniels and State Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, held a town hall meeting in February, during which Highland County Press owner Rory Ryan presented information in support of legal advertising reform.
According to Daniels, the governor's budget proposal includes the following language for legal advertising:
Ohio Revised Code Section 7.16. (A) As used in this section:
(1) "State agency" has the meaning defined in section 1.60 of the Revised Code, and includes state institutions of higher education as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.
(2) "Political subdivision" has the meaning defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code.
(B)(1) Notwithstanding any statute or rule that requires a state agency or political subdivision to publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation, the state agency or political subdivision may choose not to publish the notice in a newspaper of general circulation, and instead to publish the notice on the state public notice website established by the office of information technology under section 125.182 of the Revised Code.
In addition, the state agency or political subdivision may publish the notice on its website.
Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, publication of a notice on the state public notice website is in lieu of newspaper publication that is otherwise required.
A state agency or political subdivision that is required to publish a notice may submit a copy of the notice and a request for publication on the state public notice website to the office of information technology. The state agency or political subdivision shall identify, in the notice or in the request for publication, the provision of the statute or rule that requires the notice to be published. The state agency or political subdivision, may, but is not required to, prepare the request on the form that is available on the state public notice website.
(2) A state agency or political subdivision that publishes a notice on the state public notice website in lieu of complying with the statute or rule that otherwise requires newspaper publication, nevertheless shall publish an abbreviated notice in a newspaper of general circulation. The abbreviated notice shall provide a brief summary of the notice, a reference to the state public notice website address where the complete notice may be found, and a telephone number to call for more information.
(C) A state agency or political subdivision that publishes a notice in compliance with a statute or rule also may publish the notice on the state public notice web site in addition to publishing the notice as otherwise required by the statute or rule.
In addition to meeting with Daniels and Rosenberger, Ryan has been in communication with the governor's office, as well as other area lawmakers in support of the reform initiatives.
"Given the hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars that have been, in certain political years, allocated to state-mandated legal notices, not to mention the thousands of dollars spent on the local level in all 88 counties, clearly it is time for serious reform," Ryan said.
"Granted, this may seem like a rather insignificant amount given the state’s multi-billion-dollar budget; however, as the old saying goes, “A couple of hundred thousand dollars here, and a couple of hundred thousand there, and pretty soon we’re talking real money.”
Ryan said Ohio House Bill 345 recently attempted to address the issue by allowing certain political subdivisions to make Internet publications in lieu of newspaper publication requirements. However, Ryan said, the newspaper industry’s corporate ownerships successfully campaigned against a proposal in the Ohio budget bill which would have allowed government entities to post small, condensed versions of their respective legal notices in newspapers, with references to the corresponding government website for the full text of the specific legal notice.
The governor's proposal allows the the state agency or political subdivision to choose not to publish the notice in a newspaper, and instead to publish the notice on the state public notice website.
Ryan cited one recent election alone that cost taxpayers more than $300,000 in advertising expenses related to the publication of proposed constitutional amendments during the General Election. In 2005, a Wilmington newspaper (through its parent company) billed the Clinton County Board of Elections some $59,169.33 for legal advertising costs.
"This was among the most exorbitant expenses to taxpayers in the entire state that year," Ryan said.
According to public records provided by the Clinton County Board of Elections, that newspaper also submitted bills for $30,000 for printing costs and $13,275.42 for other legal advertising and inserts.
Ryan gave the lawmakers copies of the invoice from the Clinton County Board of Elections.
Last year, Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley informed the Highland County Board of Commissioners that his office had received a bill of almost $13,900 from The Times-Gazette in Hillsboro – a sister publication to the Wilmington paper – for publishing the annual delinquent land tax legal notices. This was a significant increase over previous invoices for similar notices and exceeded the auditor’s budget.
After The Highland County Press editorialized on this expense to taxpayers in its Feb. 20, 2010 edition, the legal bill was reduced by $4,196.40 to $9,632.
In his February meeting with local lawmakers, Ryan presented legislation that had been proposed by Ohio lawmakers such as Kathleen Chandler, Robert Hagan, Raymond Pryor, Tom Letson, Kenny Yuko and John Domenick that would amend Ohio law on legal advertisement requirements.
"By reforming the state law and allowing additional publications an opportunity to bid on the legal advertisements, and by allowing these notices to be placed on the respective public websites, taxpayers across the state would save hundreds of thousands of dollars each year," Ryan said.
"Millions," Daniels said.
Daniels said this is an issue that he would be "happy" to work on, because he could see it resulting in a savings to the taxpayers, in a time when the state is looking for areas to make cuts.
"We're kind of in a position now where a lot of these issues have been ignored in the past, and they're just thrust upon us. And it's too bad they have been pushed off," Daniels said.
"Now, we're looking at nickels and dimes to end up making $8 billion. I think that we're probably going to see some proposals come out, hopefully, in this year's executive budget. I'm hoping that we see this as it comes out from the administration. If not, I am happy to be working on this issue as it goes through the budgetary process."[[In-content Ad]]