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Services
Legislative Action: Business Issues
2007 General Assembly Legislation as it relates to Newspaper Business
HB 1899 / SB 970 David Albo (House) / Janet Howell (Senate) Signed by governor, goes into effect 7/1/07 Provides that a newspaper that does not have a second-class mailing permit does not need to have a bona fide list of paying subscribers before a court can grant the authority for the newspaper to publish ordinances, resolutions, notices, or advertisements required by law to be published in a newspaper. Monitor
HB 1907 David Albo Tabled in House General Laws Committee Requires that the Office of State Auditor, if approved by the General Assembly, shall, by Oct. 15 of each year, produce a paper copy or a computer file of certain state data (i.e., number of full-time state employees, revenue spending) and distribute them to newspapers of general circulation in the Commonwealth. Also requires a notice of the financial condition of the authority. Monitor
HB 1969 David Albo Bill effective 7/1/07 Creates the Truth in Music Advertising Act and prescribes a civil penalty for any person who advertises or conducts a live musical performance or production in the Commonwealth through the use of a false, deceptive, or misleading affiliation, connection, or association between a performing group and a recording group. Monitor
HB 2101 Robert Orrock Bill effective 7/1/07 Requires legislation authorizing statewide bond referendum to include a fiscal impact statement for distribution to voters. The statement would be prepared by staff of the House Appropriations Committee or Senate Finance Committee and include information about costs and encumbrance of future budgets. The State Board of Elections would also include in the statement in the voter information distributed to general registrars, newspapers and posted on its official internet website Monitor
HB 2117 R.G. Marshall Tabled in House Counties, Cities & Towns Committee Notice of the public hearing on creation of community investment corporations shall be published once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the locality where the CIC would be created. Monitor
HB 2224 Leo Wardrup Left in House Finance Committee Repeals the BPOL tax exemption for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, or other publications issued daily or regularly at average intervals not exceeding three months. Oppose
HB 2225 Leo Wardrup Tabled by House Finance Committee Creates a tax to be imposed on newspapers, magazines, newsletters, or other publications at the rate of $0.01 on every such publication delivered and sold in the Commonwealth. Oppose
HB 2611 Vivian Watts Left in House Finance Committee Strikes the requirement for notice of a tax referendum to be published in a newspaper. Oppose
HB 2826 Todd Gilbert Left in House Courts of Justice Committee Requires that persons who advertise immigration assistance services and are not attorneys must clearly states in advertisements that they are not attorneys. Monitor
HB 3060 Jeffrey Frederick Left in House Counties, Cities & Towns Committee Requires newspaper notice for zoning changes or for contruction that would require new or improved transportation facilities. Monitor
HB 3202 William J. Howell Bill effective 7/1/07 Provides (i) statewide funding of transportation projects through current funds and additional funds, (ii) authority to localities in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to impose additional fees for transportation, and (iii) several administrative and efficiency reforms impacting transportation. Monitor
HR 80 Harvey Morgan Agreed to by House Commending John Warren Cooke, publisher of the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal and a former House speaker, for his leadership. Support
SB 1255 Mark Herring Bill effective 7/1/07 Provides that whenever notices, summonses, orders, and other official documents are required to be posted on or at the front door of a courthouse or on a public bulletin board at the courthouse, this requirement can be met if such documents are posted at or near the principal public entrance to the courthouse in a conspicuous location that has been approved by the chief judge of the circuit in which the courthouse is situated. This bill also provides that the posting of such documents may be made by any means, including electronic, provided that the means employed display the original document, an image of the original document, or otherwise display the same information contained in the original document. Monitor
SB 1267 Mark Herring Left in House Counties, Cities & Towns Committee Provides that a party’s actual notice of, or active participation in, the proceedings for which certain advertisement is required, shall waive the right of that party to challenge the validity of the plan or ordinance, or amendment thereof, due to the insufficiency of, or an error in, the advertisement. Monitor
SJ 326 Brandon Bell Rejected by House Establishes a joint subcommittee to study the viability of a flat tax on the consumption of goods and services as an alternative tax system. Monitor
SJ 407 Linda Puller Agreed to by Senate and House Celebrating the life of David W. Harned, a columnist for the Chronicle newspapers, who died in 2006. Support