§140.2. News deserts

            A. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 43:140(3) and 142, the provisions of this Section are applicable to a parish or a political subdivision in a parish that meets all of the following criteria:

            (1) There is not a newspaper that is eligible to be selected as an official journal.

            (2) The population of the parish is fewer than two hundred thousand persons as determined by the most recent federal decennial census.

            (3) If the population of the parish is greater than one hundred thousand persons, it is not adjacent to a parish with a population greater than two hundred thousand persons, all as determined by the most recent federal decennial census.

            B.(1) In such a parish, "newspaper" shall mean a publication that complies with the requirement of R.S. 43:141.1(A) and during the year prior to the first publication of any legal or official notice therein:

            (a) Has been published at regular intervals of not less than weekly.

            (b) Has been originated and published for the dissemination of current news and intelligence of varied, broad, and general public interest, including regular news coverage of local public meetings and events, and is not devoted to the interests of, or published for the entertainment or instruction of, or has a circulation restricted to, any particular sect, denomination, labor or fraternal organization, or other special group or class of citizens.

            (c) Has not been published primarily for advertising purposes and has not contained more than seventy-five percent advertising in more than one-half of its issues, excluding separate advertising supplements inserted into but separately identifiable from any regular issue or issues.

            (d) Has maintained a general paid circulation to bona fide paying subscribers within the area the publication is required.

            (2) In such a parish, to be selected as an official journal, the newspaper:

            (a) Shall have been published in an office physically located in the parish in which the body is located for one year preceding the selection.

            (b) Shall not have missed during that period as many as three consecutive issues unless caused by fire, flood, strike, or natural disaster.

            (c) Shall have maintained a general paid circulation in the parish in which the body is located for one year prior to the selection.

            (d) Shall have been entered in a U.S. post office in the state of Louisiana under a periodical permit in the state for one year prior to the selection.

            Acts 2024, No. 464, §1.