Welcome to the first weekly column from your faithful publisher here at the Daily News. I have been asked several times when I was going to write a weekly editorial.
So after some thought and some elbow grease, I’ve settled on The Muse of Dr. News for the column name. Bear with me … anyone who knows me will tell you I’m a light-hearted merry trickster.
I have a doctorate in computer systems engineering. And in those spaces between the ticking of a clock, I muse, meander, tinker, hammer and craft a dialogue that can go on for days. And that’s all before breakfast. So if I may so indulge and share with you this week’s musings.
First musing: After I heard the news about fully vaccinated people can meet together without masks, my mind went wild. Oh the potential! I immediately rushed into our office and begged everyone to go get vaccinated. That’s about the best red-letter day I’ve had in a long time, and I hope you felt the same. We’ll have to reintroduce ourselves.
I’ve also been musing about the latest WV House Bill HB 2715: requiring the State Auditor “to establish a website centralizing access to all postings of legal advertisements required by law.”
In layman’s terms, this means that all of the information which the state is legally required to make available to the public (also known as “public” or “legal” notice) by printing in local newspapers and posting on specific agency websites, could now simply deposit onto one “centralized” government website.
Wait a minute. That would immediately cut 10%-15% of our newspaper’s revenue. Ouch. But money aside, what about the good majority of rural and elderly citizens of West Virginia who don’t rely upon computers or don’t have the internet to get their news and legal information?
Even I, Dr. Computer man, wouldn’t look on the state’s website for public and legal information. And how would my next-door neighbor who’s constantly asking me to help fix the TV remote and doesn’t have a computer or smartphone get access to this critical and timely information?
So I went directly to the good folks above my pay grade for counsel.
Delegate Todd Longanacre who represents Greenbrier and Monroe Counties said that he does not support HB2715. Nor Delegate Bruce.
“I will vote to continue the requirement for public notices to be printed in the newspapers, just so you know,” Longanacre said. “For many, it’s the only way they get any information at all.”
Senator Jack David Woodrum told us, “I don’t really believe this is the appropriate time to pursue this type of legislation. Maybe down the road as broadband is more widely available, but not now.”
But my dear readers, it unraveled a bit more … On the same day that HB 2715 was presented, Senate Bill 318 was also presented across the hall of the capitol. SB 318 builds upon HB 2715 by eliminating “the requirement that the Treasurer publish a full list of unclaimed property in newspapers and instead require that information be included in a publicly available online database.”
Hmmm. That just doesn’t sit right with me either, how about you? Please let me know what you think.
And one final pondering. Here’s a question for the mind readers out there.
Email me at drnews@wvdn.com or send a letter to our offices. I’d love to hear your musings and meanderings.
Until next week,
Scot Refsland, Ph.D.
Publisher
