Oklahoma legislative brief: Bill to modernize posting of legal notices passes House

The Shawnee News-Star
·1 min read
Early morning sun lights up the state capitol in Oklahoma City. FILE
Early morning sun lights up the state capitol in Oklahoma City. FILE

Bill to Modernize Posting of Legal Notices Passes House

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation to improve transparency and accountability in state and local government unanimously passed the House on Monday.

House Bill 3062, authored by Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, asks municipalities to post legal notices online or in a daily newspaper. Current law limits publication to a daily paper. The change allows newspapers to continue as the vehicle for government legal notices despite the decline in daily publications.

“As a lawmaker, I want to make government more accessible for the citizens that live in House District 34,” Ranson said. “The government and newspapers have a mutually beneficial relationship when it comes to the transparency of legal notices. This legislation strengthens that bond.”

Newspaper revenue and subscription rates have declined across the country since the mid-2000s. However, according to Pew Research, website traffic has again begun to grow. The proposed statute modifies the law to expand the reach of the notices without hurting local newspapers.

“House Bill 3062 makes sure Oklahomans have improved access to public notices in places where there are weekly newspapers with up-to-date websites,” said Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, the bill’s Senate author. “Hopefully, this bill will increase the sustainability of local news outlets and the role they play in keeping citizens informed.”

HB3062 is now eligible to be heard by the Senate.

This article originally appeared on The Shawnee News-Star: Oklahoma legislative brief: Bill to modernize posting of legal notices passes House