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Committee tables bill to let towns stop publishing notices in newspapers; press, municipalities to continue talks
Summary
The committee tabled LD 2042 after testimony from the Maine Press Association and the Maine Municipal Association. Lawmakers expressed concern for seniors and for preserving a centralized notices repository while municipalities cited cost pressures; staff were directed to facilitate stakeholder talks.
The State and Local Government Committee on Feb. 4 tabled LD 2042, which would allow municipalities to fulfill statutory public‑notice requirements by posting notices on a publicly accessible municipal website instead of publishing them in newspapers.
Analyst Kristen explained the bill would add website posting as an alternative under Title 30‑A. Christopher Crockett, publisher of the Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander on behalf of the Maine Press Association, told the committee that the bill as written does not require municipalities to post to the centralized Maine Notices repository and warned that removing the statutory newspaper requirement risks fragmenting access to notices and eliminating a centralized public archive that the press maintains.
Tammy Emery, advocacy manager for the Maine Municipal Association, said some towns face heavy costs for lengthy legal notices and timing challenges imposed by newspaper production schedules; MMA asked the committee to let municipal and press stakeholders pursue a compromise. Committee members expressed concern about the digital divide and seniors who rely on print; Senator Joe Baldacci and several representatives said they were uneasy removing a print requirement without a clear alternative.
After discussion, the committee voted to table LD 2042 and asked staff (Kristen) to coordinate further stakeholder meetings between municipal representatives, the press and committee members. The vote to table carried with nine in favor and one opposed. Members requested cost information comparing current newspaper-expenditure burdens with potential digital alternatives ahead of further consideration.
What happens next: staff will coordinate talks between stakeholders and prepare potential amendment language or cost information for the committee’s review.
