03/11/2023
Iowa Legislators are moving to pass a bill (SF 480) that provides that all public notices would be posted on an online portal developed, maintained, and managed by the secretary of state’s office.
Public notices would no longer be required for publication in newspapers. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO GO ONLINE TO READ YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC NOTICES: COUNTY SUPERVISORS, CITY COUNCIL, SCHOOL BOARD, just to name a few.
Kossuth County and Palo Alto County - David D. Rowley is your Senator, he has voted NO to passing this bill, that's a positive. You can still contact him and thank him for voting NO and let Senator Rowley know why you feel that this is important to you as voters. You can reach him at [email protected]. You can also reach Senator Rowley by phone at the Capitol at 515-281-3371. Legislators are at the Capitol Monday through Thursday.
The lowa Newspaper Association manages and maintains a searchable database of public notices at NO CHARGE to government or taxpayers at www.iowanotices.org
Public notices are very important to the people of Iowa. Our democracy depends on an informed citizenry and newspapers continue to have a vital role in providing necessary information to the public.
Public notices depend on an independent third party such as a newspaper. The government cannot be in charge of holding the government accountable.
The public must be able to verify that the notice was not altered once published. This verification takes place each time a legal is published in the Bancroft Register and Swea City Herald-Press through an affidavit with the printed legal attached sent directly to the governmental entity. PLUS, it is in PRINT for all eternity,
Each month, 84% of Iowans read local newspaper in print or digital, and 77% of Iowans read public notices in newspapers.
