Committee backs option to post legally required public notices on Secretary of State site, strips appropriation

Senators on the Senate Appropriations — Government Operations Division on Oct. 12 approved an amended version of Senate Bill 2069 that would allow — but not require — units of government to post statutorily required public notices on the Secretary of State’s website. The committee removed a proposed appropriation tied to building an expanded public-notices system.

The bill originated at the request of the Public Service Commission. Randy Chrisman of the Public Service Commission told the committee the commission’s goal was to add a publicly accessible backup so a missed newspaper ad would not force cancellation or rescheduling of hearings. “Maintaining our North Dakota newspapers is a huge deal to me,” Chrisman said, “...but what we want to do is add to it and be even more transparent, for people who just do not choose to read a newspaper.”

Bill proponents said the backup would be a "fail-safe" when a paid newspaper notice is not published correctly. Sandy McMurdie, Deputy Secretary of State, told senators the office’s current meeting-hosting…