Bern cantonal parliament: No editorial contributions in official gazettes
A majority in the Bern cantonal parliament does not want to see editorial content in official gazettes. It rejected the cantonal government’s request for more lenient regulations governing official gazettes.
After an in-depth debate, the cantonal parliament voted 95 to 52 in favor of a ban on editorial contributions. However, the committee must now reformulate the corresponding article of the law, which was introduced by the preliminary advisory committee. The wording had disturbed even the supporters of the ban. They conceded that the Commission's proposal in the draft law overshot the mark by far. The Commission's proposal for the ban was so restrictive that not even crossword puzzles or recipes could be published in the non-official section of the gazette in future.
Another contentious issue in the debate was whether or not official publications by cantonal authorities in the official gazettes of the municipalities should remain free of charge. The Government Council would like them to remain free of charge. But here too, a majority in the Grand Council put a spanner in the works. It pushed through the commission's proposal that the canton should also pay for official notices in future. The revision of the law will now go to a second reading.
Another contentious issue in the debate was whether or not official publications by cantonal authorities in the official gazettes of the municipalities should remain free of charge. The Government Council would like them to remain free of charge. But here too, a majority in the Grand Council put a spanner in the works. It pushed through the commission's proposal that the canton should also pay for official notices in future. The revision of the law will now go to a second reading.
