A legislative committee will be looking at changes to requirements that local governments publish legal and public notices in newspapers.

Cities, towns and counties are required to publish a variety of public records in their local newspapers. Those include salary listings, notices of public meetings, requests for contract bids, bills and other information.

The Associated Press that local governments can spend tens of thousands of dollars a year on the mandated advertising costs.

Local government officials say they could save money if some of the notices could be published digitally instead of in the newspapers.

But press and open-government advocates argue that local newspapers provide better public access to the information and that notices keep people informed about what is being done with their money and resources.

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