Committee advances bill to fix publishing-rate formula after press group warns of steep revenue loss

Representative Reiser brought HB 481 to the House Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee seeking to correct how public-notice fees will be calculated under a digital-first law that takes effect July 1, 2027. Reiser told the committee a 2023 change had been miscomputed and would impose a far larger reduction in local payments to newspapers than intended.

Sam Hanna, who identified himself as president of the board of directors of the Louisiana Press Association and owner-publisher of three community newspapers, said the association negotiated a 15–20% reduction for local government but that the 1.5¢ per-character figure in the enacted law was calculated incorrectly. "At the time we thought 1.5¢ would achieve a 15 to 20% reduction — we were wrong," Hanna told the committee, saying his group's spreadsheets show the adopted formula would cut revenue by "40 to 50%" for many small papers.

Guy Cormier, executive director of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, said many parishes operate on razor-thin budgets and relied on the press-association assurances. He described earlier negotiations in 2022–23 that led local officials to accept a digital-first transition in exchange for a smaller rate cut, and said his members were surprised by the newer calculation. "We trusted their numbers," Cormier said, adding that some parishes have only a single newspaper and that every penny matters.

Reiser said the bill would clarify the statutory language and allow higher per-character caps — up to 3¢ in sponsor language — so the effective change matches the intended percentage reduction. Sam Hanna said some publishers will not raise rates to the cap but that the extra headroom is needed to reach the negotiated 15–20% outcome while preserving small papers' cash flow.

Several committee members pressed the witnesses on the methodology and whether local governments or smaller newspapers had been consulted during the drafting. Hanna said the associations had met repeatedly in 2022–23 with parish and municipal associations and the school boards, but he acknowledged some local officials and publishers had not been part of initial rate-modeling.

Representative Sawyer moved to report HB 481 favorably. On a roll call, the committee recorded 10 yeas and 5 nays and advanced the bill to the House floor; committee members asked sponsors and association leaders to continue negotiating possible amendments before floor debate.

The committee’s action sends HB 481 for further consideration on the House calendar; sponsors said any amendment would aim to achieve the originally intended 15–20% savings for local governments while preserving the financial viability of community newspapers.