Kansas AG Kobach Helps Kill Newspapers?!?

Actually . . . 

This move is just another example of the nation moving past old school technology. 

We can only hope that local government continue to invest in online communication in order to better informed residents beyond mere website postings.

Check the basics and another nail in the coffin for dead-tree media . . .

"AG Kris Kobach’s nonbinding analysis said cities could adopt ordinances that allowed them to inform the public by posting information on budget hearings, zoning proposals and other issues to a city-owned website rather than buy newspaper advertisements.

"The opinion was released in response to a Kansas House member’s specific request for clarification about whether cities in the second class — 2,000 to 15,000 people — had an alternative to designating a newspaper of record. In the opinion, Kobach said local government officials could sidestep the publication requirement because applicable state law treated the three classes of cities differently based on population.

“Home-rule provisions of the Kansas Constitution … allows cities to exempt themselves from nonuniform acts of the Legislature,” Kobach’s opinion said. “We conclude that a second-class city may exempt itself by charter ordinance. And, once having done so may then choose to publish official city business on its own webpage.”

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Kansas Press Association considers AG's opinion a threat to government transparency - Kansas Reflector

Attorney General Kris Kobach issued a nonbinding opinion saying certain cities could avoid a law requiring official notices to be published in a newspaper.