Florida once had a backlog of more than 13,000 rape kits, but legislation in 2016 helped clear the backlog. Now lawmakers are looking to go even further to ensure kits are tested in a timely manner.
Editorial Boards - USA Today Network Florida
Call it the fox guarding the hen house, or government telling government to hold itself accountable.
A bill (House Bill 35) scheduled to be heard by a Florida House committee Wednesday would effectively end the practice of placing public notices in newspapers for local governments most important actions, such as meetings, new ordinances, rezoning, the establishment of new districts and property tax rate changes.
The bill, which also applies to notices of storage-unit sales and fictitious-name registrations, dubs itself as a cost-saving measure for local governments by giving them the option to publish legal notices online on a local government s website or a third-party website if that costs less than newspaper publication.