Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/106811
The Indiana Publisher Published alternate Thursdays Volume 78, Issue 3 • January 31, 2013 HSPA welcomes Pence to reception 2013 INDIANA GENERAL ASSEMBLY HSPA testifies against several proposed bills Governor plans to attend evening event at Annual Meetings G ov. Mike Pence plans to attend the Governor's Reception during the HSPA and HSPA Foun dation An ual Meet n Sign up ings and Gov rn ent by Feb. 1 e m Con erence f Register for the on Feb. 7-8 Annual Meetings in Indian at www.HSPA apolis. Foundation.org/ The recep- annualmeetings. tion includes Call HSPA at dinner this (317) 803-4772 year in the for more details. Quarterback Suite at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 7. Registration runs through Friday, Feb. 1, at www.HSPA foundation.org/annualmeetings. "We're pleased Gov. Pence will attend the reception and show his continuing support for Indiana newspapers," said Steve Key, HSPA executive director and general counsel. "HSPA looks forward to working with the Pence administration to protect the public's right to know what its government is doing." The conference and Legislative Luncheon will be held at the nearby Hyatt Regency Indianapolis. Speakers during the conference portion of the Annual Meetings include postal revenue expert Jim Hart of Integrated Advertising Solutions. Publishers will share strategies during roundtable discussions on hot-button industry issues. Potential legislation affecting public notices seeks to hide them 'in plain sight' See Bills, Page 4 Some sunshine, please: The Indiana Economic Development Corporation and local economic groups work with little oversight or accountability. Page 4 Can they do that? Media law expert Steve Key answers your questions in his Q&A. Page 4 A bill that would effectively eliminate the publication of public notices in newspapers by local government units in Indiana did not get a vote Jan. 30 in the Senate Local Government Committee. After testimony, committee chairman State Sen. Randy Head, R-Logansport, did not ask for a vote on S.B. 458. Authored by State Sen. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City, it could be brought up for a vote at a later meeting of the committee or die if Head does not call it back. Representatives of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, Association of Indiana Counties, Allen County Board of Commissioners, Lake County government, and Indiana Township Association testified in favor of the bill. HSPA President Greg Morris, publisher of the Indianapolis Business Journal, and Steve Key, executive director and general counsel for HSPA, spoke against the bill. They were joined by Julia Vaughn of Common Cause, Katrina Hall of Indiana Farm Bureau, Dan Byron of Indiana Coalition for Open Government, and Aaron Smith of Watchdog Indiana. Several state senators asked questions critical of the bill. They wanted to know how removing publication from newspapers would make notices more transparent, especially for residents who get news primarily from newspapers rather than online. HSPA deems fees in access bill acceptable A public access bill supported by many government officials was amended in committee to make it something citizens can support as well. H.B. 1175, authored by State Rep. Bill Friend, R-Macy, was passed by the House Government & Regulatory Reform Committee, 9-1, on Jan. 29. Friend is carrying the bill at the behest of Speaker of the House Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis. The bill addresses a long-time INSIDE Decades of work: The editor of the Indianapolis Business Journal is taking a part-time role after 22 years in the hot seat. Page 3 T he Hoosier State Press Association testified Jan. 30 against a bill that would allow local government units to forego publishing public notices – replacing them with postings on agencies' own websites. After hearing testimony lawmakers did not vote on S.B. 458, introduced by State Sen. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City. State Sen. Randy Head, R-Logansport, chairman Jim Banks of the Senate Local Government Committee, granted it the initial hearing and could bring it up for a vote later. Lobbyists for local government have sought over decades to erase public notice advertising – calling it an unfunded mandate by the legislature. "There's little to no appreciation Randy Head by many that the Public Notice Advertising Law is one of three pillars that support the public's ability to hold government accountable," said Steve Key, executive director and general counsel for HSPA. "Combined with the Open Door Law and Access to Public Records Act, public notice gives Hoosiers Good sign: Bill doesn't get vote concern of many government officials – the cost of fulfilling voluminous records requests. Bosma asked HSPA to examine how other states dealt with the question. HSPA, with review by its Free dom of Information Committee, chaired by Bill Nangle of The Times (Munster), presented Bosma with some principles that it felt addressed the concern without creating a barrier to public access. H.B. 1175 will allow public agencies to impose a fee if a records search requires more than two hours of labor. The maximum that could be charged for time over the two hours would be $20 an hour. HSPA worked with Bosma's office, Friend and State Rep. Kevin Mahan, R-Hartford City, chairman of the committee where the bill was assigned, to craft an amendment to benefit Hoosiers. The amendment will allow the record requester, when a record sought exists in electronic form, to See Access, Page 3 HSPA advertising network works for you A n advertising sales associate at the Carroll County Comet (Delphi) is sold on HSPA's statewide advertising network. And not just because of the $130 commission her newspaper received for one 25-word classified ad. Michelle Kennedy, who has been with the paper since September, recently sold her first classified ad into the association's Indiana Classified Advertising Network and was pleased with the ease of the process. "You have a program set up that is very sellable," Kennedy said. She upsold a classified placement HSPA advertising HSPA's statewide advertising network can place classified, 2x2, and 2x4 ads in dozens of newspapers. For more information visit hspa.com/ advertising-services or call HSPA at (317) 803-4772. that advertised education classes in the health-care field for a long-time advertiser with the paper. Kennedy explained the program to the advertiser – place an ad in dozens of newspapers with just one call and one bill – and the client jumped on board. "It was a quick decision," she said. Kennedy is new to advertising and said she relied on HSPA's advertising coordinator, Shawn Goldsby, to help her step-by-step through her first sale in the statewide network. "Shawn has been awesome," Kennedy said. "She was so helpful." For more information on selling classified, 2x2 and 2x4 ads into HSPA's statewide advertising network, visit www.hspa.com/advertising-services to download an information packet and media kit, or call Goldsby at (317) 8034772.