Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper yesterday vetoed a bill that would have substantially reduced a category of newspaper notice in the state beginning in 2022.

Senate Bill 156 would have allowed counties to publish salary reports, financial statements and monthly expense reports on their own websites in lieu of newspapers. The legislation would still have required counties to publish newspaper notices providing a website address for each report.

In his veto letter, Gov. Hickenlooper cited the lack of internet access for some residents of the state as the reason he vetoed the bill. “While we recognize that laws must be updated with the times,” he wrote, “until all communities have full online access, we should not force Coloradans to the Internet to review public notices when some have no Internet access to do so.” He called SB 156 “a laudable effort” to “streamline government and implement efficiencies” but said it was “premature.”

Colorado Press Association representatives, who discussed the bill with Gov. Hickenlooper and his staff both before and after it passed the legislature, were relieved by the veto.

“We’re thankful Gov. Hickenlooper agreed with us that now is not the time for this legislation,” said CPA Chief Executive Officer Jerry Raehal. “Many people rely on newspapers for public notices and this bill would have hampered their ability to access important public information from a trusted, independent source.”