Keep the public well informed

Commercial-News, Danville, Ill.: Some Illinois lawmakers want to remove a staple ingredient in informing the public of government’s actions. It is, simply, a move to keep voters in the dark about what their elected officials are doing.

House Bill 1869 would allow all local governments and school districts to post public notices online, on their own websites, instead of publishing such notices in community newspapers.

These notices inform the public of changes in laws, of meeting times, of how tax dollars are being spent and a variety of other issues vital to the public’s right to know.

These notices, for which newspapers are paid, provide a vital public service. To allow government to post their own notices takes a step back toward keeping voters ignorant.

Many older residents don’t have access to computers and would have few options with which to see the notices.

Specific guidelines

No details of the proposed change are available. Without a specific set of guidelines, governmental bodies could bury public notices deep within their websites, causing even the most determined voters to give up searching.

Newspapers remain one of the most reliable ways to distribute such public notices. They are readily available to everyone and have served the purpose well for decades.

Lawmakers too often forget they work for the public, not special interests. House Bill 1869 will hurt the public’s right to know. Encourage your representatives to stop the bill.