PHOENIX β Newspapers appear to be safe from losing a source of their revenue, at least for the time being.
On a 16-13 vote, the state Senate on Monday defeated legislation that would have eliminated the requirement for new businesses in the stateβs two largest counties to publish their articles of incorporation and other legal notices in newspapers.
Proponents could try to resurrect HB 2447 later in the session. The measure was approved by the House, 33-26.
Mondayβs vote is a victory for the Arizona Newspapers Association, which had lobbied heavily to defeat the measure even though it likely affects just a handful of its members.
But there clearly was a fear that if publication requirements for corporations are killed in Maricopa and Pima counties, the next step would be to extend it to the other 13 counties. It also raised the possibility that once the Legislature kills publication requirements for businesses, it is only a small leap to eliminate the mandate for publication of legal notices for cities, counties, school districts and government agencies.
The measure, crafted by House Majority Leader Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, would have required the Arizona Corporation Commission to set up a website where new businesses would post articles of incorporation. Those documents would remain available there in searchable form for 90 days. After that, the records would go into an existing online database.
