New Jersey postpones consideration of bill allowing government to post legal notices online rather than in newspapers; state senate president says bill will not be considered during next two years

Kendall Sinclair

TRENTON, New Jersey , January 18, 2012 (Associated Press) – Long-stalled legislation that would allow governments in New Jersey to post legal notices online rather than in newspapers has hit another roadblock.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney said Tuesday that the bill would not be considered there during the next two years. That comes just days after scheduled votes on the measure were canceled.

The newspaper industry and other critics strongly oppose the bill, saying it would make residents comb through individual towns' websites for notices they now can easily find in newspapers. They also claim governments are ill-equipped to administer notices online securely and satisfy legal requirements.

But proponents say the measure would save towns and taxpayers millions of dollars. Roughly $20 million is now spent on the notices for various government meetings, contracting opportunities and other business matters.

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