County board opens meeting with prayer

BY DAVID STEINKRAUS, Feb. 12, 2003

Tuesday, February 11, 2003 11:34 PM CST

IVES GROVE -- With little fanfare, the County Board started its Tuesday meeting by standing for a prayer.

"We thank you for the men and women who had the courage to stand and make this time possible for us," said Bishop Lawrence Kirby of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church.

He asked God to provide wisdom and insight and inspire the board members to make the decisions that will be best for the people of Racine County. "We're so thankful to live in a nation where we can pray publicly, where we can have freedom of speech and expression."

Tuesday's meeting was the first that began with a prayer since the county board voted 15-3 last month to begin meetings with prayer.

In other business, the board, without objection, passed a resolution asking the state to waive its rules requiring newspaper publication of certain notices. Under a measure passed as part of the 2001 budget adjustment bill, municipalities can request relief from state mandates. Last year the county spent about $60,000 to publish items such as legal notices, the minutes of County Board meetings, government budgets, lists of unclaimed property and lists of property that the county intends to seize for delinquent taxes.

County officials say they can save money by publishing items electronically and that the 67 percent Internet use in the county -- as measured in February 2002 -- exceeded the use of any newspaper. Opponents say citizens won't be able to easily find government information and a waiver is tantamount to allowing government to conceal more of its activities.

The state recently rejected a similar request from Kenosha County. A state Department of Revenue administrator said the legal publication rule was intended to provide public notice in an easily understood format and in an easily accessible medium.

Too many people are still unfamiliar with computers and the Internet, and using the Internet requires a significant investment of money, said Mark Stodder, legislative chairman for the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

Frank Humphrey, director of the revenue department's Bureau of Local Financial Assistance, told The Journal Times that all such requests are on hold because the criteria for deciding on waiver requests must be reviewed by the Doyle administration.

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