Editorial: Keep public notices where the public notices: In print

For the past few years, the Michigan legislature has been considering amendments to or a new Michigan Public Notices Act to allow municipalities to post their public notices only on their own websites.
The act currently requires publication in a paper newspaper in the same county as the municipality. A change approved last year requires publications also to post the notices online on a state website, which we do.
We, along with others, believe the legal notices should be printed on paper because then they cannot be changed. They are permanent. They also are available to people who don’t have computer access.
An important premise found in federal, state, and local governments is that information about government activities must be publicized for people to make well-informed decisions. Public notices provide this sort of transparency and accessibility to citizens who want to know more about government actions. Providing public notice provides the opportunity for the public to influence governing bodies and allows the public to be an active participant in a democratic society.
Van Buren Township and the city of Belleville use the Independent as their newspaper of record and all their many public notices are in this free paper.
If you agree public notices should remain in printed newspapers, let your elected representatives in Lansing know.