LOUISA, Ky. — LC Attorney Johnny Osborne has agreed today, Wednesday, August 2, 2023 with Thelevisalazer.com that the LC Judges Office will NOW CONFORM TO THE LAW, and provide thelevisalazer.com ALL notices of all ‘Special Meetings’ with The Lawrence County Fiscal Court.
Thelevisalazer.com/Mark Grayson Owner, filed a request, at the LC Clerk’s Office for all notices of Special Meetings by the LC Fiscal Court to be sent to the Lazer which the law requires (This is the Kentucky State Law KRS 61 that Phil Carter was not conforming to.)
“…(4) (a) As soon as possible, written notice shall be
delivered personally, transmitted by facsimile machine, or
mailed to every member of the public agency as well as
each media organization which has filed a written
request, including a mailing address, to receive notice of
special meetings. The notice shall be calculated so that it
shall be received at least twenty-four (24) hours before
the special meeting. The public agency may periodically,
but no more often than once in a calendar year, inform
media organizations that they will have to submit a new
written request or no longer receive written notice of
special meetings until a new written request is filed.
After four plus years of amicable relations with thelevisalazer.com, Carter suddenly turned hostile and told office personnel to not send anything to The Lazer, including meetings notices. Because of that thelevisalazer.com missed two special meetings and has not received minutes, either. Issues such as who the new library board member will be, and how much the county has received from the Opioid settlement may have been discussed.
Matt Blackburn, who started working at the LC Judge’s office a few months ago and has very little experience, told Lazer publisher Mark Grayson that LC judge Phil Carter said to only send the special meeting notices to the Big Sandy News and post to the bulletin board inside the courthouse publicly.
But the law says Carter and Blackburn are dead wrong and Osborne’s letter today spells it out. Problem is, the letter is not completely truthful. This reporter was not present at the two special meetings because I did not know about them and Mr. Osborne knows it in his heart of hearts.
“We are happy that Mr. Osborne has decided to correct the situation and send all applicable materials to thelevisalazer.com in the future,” Lazer Publisher Mark Grayson said. “That’s all we asked for in our complaint to AG Cameron.”
Grayson filed a complaint to Cameron and was quickly given a response which said the matter would be considered by August 10, and gave the county three days to respond.
The Lazer received an email from Osborne today, It was Osborne’s response to the Ky Attorney General Daniel Cameron for not conforming to KRS 61. The wrong conduct of the LC Judges Office’s will not be adhered to. Here is the letter and our response to it…
OUR RESPONSE
KYOAG,
Mr. Osborne is grossly mistaken.
He knows in his heart of hearts that Susan Salyer was not in attendance at those meetings because we didn’t know about them.
I also asked for the minutes of all three special meetings in question and have not received them. I believe Mr. Osborne is attempting to cover for a very serious mistake since Freedom of Speech and of the Press is guaranteed in the Bill of Rights of our Constitution and is the bulwark against tyranny in all levels of government.
This is not something to take with a poof!
Mark Grayson
Rolling 👀
They agree to send you the notices but you continue to bash their office. That is why no one wants to send you anything. You are very unprofessional.
Is it “professional” to break the law in a rage? BTW, we get notices from all the other taxpayer boards and councils just fine. They are free with their information as they should be because it’s my money, too, that they are spending…
Breaking the law is a BOLD statement and not for you to say or decide.
Well, they did!
They should abide by the law like everyone else, but I can see why they wouldn’t want you at their meetings.
LAUGHING OUT LOUD…
Mark, I have a question? The sunshine statutes of the KRS say public notices shall be placed in the newspaper with the highest circulation in a given area. Is the Lazer a newspaper? That would be a question the courts would decide, wouldn’t it? It appears to me that you run a little blog where you play God. You censor people at will, get smart assed with people who you don’t agree with and/or don’t agree with you. Perhaps the AG needs to take a look at you? The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and opinion, and protection from censorship of same. Think on that a while.
Snidely,
Yes, in today’s world thelevisalazer.com IS a newspaper. We have a website, not a blog, and have for 15 years because the people in this area and beyond like our media product. You can turn the argument any way you want but the law says special meetings should not be secret meetings as you appear to want. The Sunshine laws you are referring to pertain to public notices such as bids, reports, etc. which are required to be placed in the county’s newspaper with the highest PAID circulation. NOT notices of special meetings of the court. BTW, the scene is changing quickly to conform to the digital world and highest paid circulation isn’t clear in Lawrence Co. since the BSN paper newspaper regularly posts in its WEBSITE for FREE. As for me, I welcome anyone’s opinion and scrutiny but, Snidely, you aren’t as well versed in newspapers as you think you are.
You got that right
Perhaps not Mark…perhaps not. However, must you run me down to make your point? You seem to do that often with others. First, I do not support hidden agendas in any type of government and firmly believe in what you appear to be trying to accomplish. Second, I would think an educated man wouldn’t act childish to achieve his goals. Third, ANYONE can start a website. As far as said website becoming a newspaper in and of itself that’s open to question, IMO. You might be surprised at what I’m “well versed” in.
Is it because he asks the tough question?
No, its the snide comments that a blogger puts in their blogs instead of just writing the article. How childish!!!!!!
And you ask the stupid ones.
Blackburn is probably the most crooked magistrate there is along side of Mike halcomb. They together will do anything for a vote. Only magistrate you can truly count on is David Pension. He works for the taxpayers.
Mr. Blackburn doesn’t do anything for his voters in city limits. Still looking for county working on any city roads.
How many city roads do you own KAG?
DA don’t you think that’s a stupid question?
But if you pay a tax wouldn’t you at least expect just a little return on your money?
But you don’t pay taxes KAG. you draw welfare and food stamps and live in a housing project.
That’s beside the point Sid