Consider the source of bill on legal ads

We’re tempted to leave this argument at: Consider the source.
Matter of fact, we’re going to do that and then some.
Monday, the Legislature’s House Judiciary Committee will vote on HB 4025. Supposedly, the purpose of this bill is to require the auditor to create a state central legal advertising website to facilitate required legal advertising.
This bill would not end legal ads in newspapers altogether, but would seriously reduce them.
Our newspaper urges legislators to vote no on this bill for more reasons than space allows us to note.
Some might say, “What do you expect your newspaper’s position to be on this bill — consider the source?”
But that phrase only applies when information is received from a source that can’t be taken seriously because it has been wrong before, or lacks credibility.
We admit our mistakes and right our wrong in clarifications ASAP.
As for lacking credibility, the first sign of credibility is admitting fallibility, which we do. And then there’s the body of our work daily, which we stand behind.
On the other hand, one of the sponsors of HB 4025, Delegate Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, posts his ulterior motives on social media then hides his contempt for a free press in this bill.
In December, this delegate posted at least two messages on social media that appeal to “end taxpayer support of liberal news papers (sic).”
By the way, all newspapers are hardly “liberal,” although this bill would harm all of them.
In one post he claims a newspaper’s attack upon Republicans and him are “100% motivated by my proposal to reduce state and county expenditures on legal advertising.”
He goes on to state that newspaper makes “over a million dollars a year off your tax dollars” and uses that money to attack politicians they disagree with. “Nothing is ever what is seems with the media,” he concludes.
On the contrary, nothing is ever what it seems with this delegate.
Those comments make clear the benefit of this bill is to financially damage his local newspaper because of his political differences with it. So consider that source — almost sounds like an abuse of power.
It’s obvious from his posts, HB 4025 has nothing to do with access, cost savings, relevancy or transparency.
As for access, nearly 20% of the state does not even have access to high-speed internet. Furthermore, the newspaper industry already funds a free, online public notice website, WVLegals.com.
As for saving public funds, most legal ads come at a cost to the individuals or parties involved, not taxpayers. Also, state and county publication fees exceed the cost of publishing these ads, too.
Finally, via public notices and reporting, we are still relevant — the primary source of local news and information in most communities.
Not to mention, we’re even able to hold distant state lawmakers, like Steele, accountable.