Secretary Ashcroft critical of newspaper services

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) voiced his concerns Jan. 30, about public notices, Missouri newspapers, and some instances, he said, of newspapers charging increased rates for publishing election notices required by law in October 2018.

Secretary Ashcroft testified before the House Appropriations Committee, presenting his office’s budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

The Missouri Constitution requires the Secretary of State to publish the full text of statewide ballot issues in newspapers so voters can read what is being proposed. Because of the lengthy and unusually high number of issues placed on the November 2018 ballot, the state spent nearly $6 million for the publication of notices. Since no elections are scheduled until August and November 2020, the 2019-2020 budget (which ends June 30, 2020) does not request funding for election notices.

“If we don’t fix the problem,” Secretary Ashcroft told the committee, “I’ll be back next year asking for $6 million or $7 million. Some newspapers jacked up their rates. I hope you can do something about that.”

The Secretary of State office chose to eliminate more than 80 newspapers from their historical buy to advertise statewide ballot issues. It is important to note those newspapers that appeared to increase their rates were in fact those that originally discounted them most aggressively, in part to assist the state ballot language getting out to more newspapers and more people.

Rep. Peter Merideth (D-St. Louis) asked if specific legislation is needed, and noted the state constitution requires the notices to be published. Secretary Ashcroft agreed there would need to be a constitutional change. Rep. Merideth said surely notifying the voters can be accomplished without printing public notices in newspapers. Rep. Peggy McGaugh (R-Carrollton), a former county clerk, agreed with Secretary Ashcroft that something must be done. Rep. Deb Lavender (D-Kirkwood) mentioned that public notices in newspapers are required annually for notifying citizens who may have unclaimed property held by the state.

Several bills have been filed during this legislative session, and in previous sessions, replacing printed notices in local newspapers with posted notices on various websites on the internet.

On Jan. 31, during Missouri Press Association Day at the Capitol, Governor Mike Parson addressed the subject of public notices printed in newspapers at a luncheon attended by more than 100 press members. Governor Parson said public notices are important throughout Missouri. Lots of people read public notices, he said. At the same time, technologies are changing. “But there are so many communities in the state of Missouri that don’t have internet service and broadband.” Many libraries don’t have such access, he said.

The Governor said he would like the opportunity to sit down with press association members and some of his staff “to see if there’s a way we can do this better. Get the right people in the room, and you can sometimes come up with the right solution.”