The Indiana Publisher

Cory Havens South Bend Tribune SOUTH BEND — Schurz Communications announced in February it will sell its publishing division, including the South Bend Tribune and (Bloomington) Herald-Times, to GateHouse Media. Schurz was founded in 1872 by brothers-in-law Alfred Miller and Elmer Crockett, a pair of Union veterans of the Civil War, who published the first edition of The Tribune on March 9 of that year. The newspaper has been owned and operated by descen- Publisher The Indiana Volume 84, Issue 2 • February 2019 Published on second Thursday monthly GateHouse Media buys Schurz publishing division General Assembly Senate leadership will determine which of its committees will be assigned H.B. 1212 – the bill eliminating the publication require- ment for notice of sheriff's sales (mortgage foreclosures). Generally, the President pro tem assigns House bills after the deadline for passage of Senate originating bills, which will be Feb. 26. Sen. Rod Bray, R-Martins- ville, is the new President pro tem this session of the General Assembly. Authored by Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, H.B. 1212 was approved by the House with a 62-34 vote. The bill is being supported by the Indiana Sheriffs Association and Indiana Bankers Bill eliminating publication requirement of sheriff sale notices moves forward See H.B. 1212, page 8 Compiled by the Hoosier State Press Association to note bills that impact the public's right to know (generally embodied in the Open Door Law, Access to Public Records Act and Public Notice Advertising law) and the Freedom of the Press. Open Door Law H.B. 1116 – Authored by Rep. Mike Karickhoff, R-Kokomo, who wants to give governing bodies the ability to discuss strategy when considering the sale or leasing of public property behind closed doors. (Current law allows an executive session when a government unit is considering the purchase or lease of private party.) HSPA's concern was whether this would allow for a consensus reached in an executive session that could be executed in a public meeting without the public having any advance warning of the sale or lease of that public land. HSPA worked with Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (AIM) on an amendment that an- swered that concern. This bill was passed by the House Committee on Govern- ment and Regulatory Affairs, chaired by Rep. Kevin Mahan, R-Hartford City, and by the House, 98-0. Rep. Mahan and Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, joined as co-authors. Sens. John Ruckelshaus, R-Indianapolis, and David Niezgodski, D-South Bend, will be the Senate sponsors. HSPA supports H.B. 1116. Access to Public Records Act H.B. 1629 – This education- related bill contains a provision that would make emails between staff members of schools or charter schools exempt from the state's Access to Public Records Act. This would be unprecedented to make a record secret based on its form, rather than content. HSPA attempting to talk to bill's author, Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, to Legislative Update See Preview, page 6 Follow H.B. 1212 & other bills at iga.in.gov. This being only the second year of the Legacy Scholarship program, many publishers — let alone employees and independent contractors — may not be aware that HSPA is offering scholarships for the children of Hoosier newspaper employees and independent contractors. There are no require- ments to study journalism. The scholarships are open to any children or grandchildren of HSPA-member Earn a $1,000 schlaorship for your child, grandchild See Schurz, page 4 Karickhoff See Scholarship, page 11

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