NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1981 SESSION

CHAPTER 893

HOUSE BILL 1263

AN ACT TO REDEFINE THE NEWSPAPERS ELIGIBLE TO ACCEPT LEGAL ADVERTISING IN MCDOWELL AND CHATHAM COUNTIES.  

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  The first sentence of G.S. 1-597 is amended by deleting the words "to actual paid subscribers" and by adding after the first sentence which ends with the word "herein" the following sentence:

"Provided further, that in the event the newspaper otherwise meeting the qualifications and having the characteristics prescribed by G.S. 1-597 to 1-599, is admitted to the United States mails as third class matter rather than second class matter, the newspaper shall qualify if it maintains a known office in the county or political subdivision where such publication, advertisement or notice is required to be published, is originated and published for the purpose of disseminating information of a public character, is not primarily designed for advertising purposes, does not contain more than seventy-five percent (75%) advertising in more than one-fourth of the issues published during the preceding six-month period, and at least thirty percent (30%) of the copies are sold or mailed to named addressees."

Sec. 2. The second sentence of G.S. 1-597 is amended by adding after the words "newspaper's plant" the words "or known office".

Sec. 3. This act applies to McDowell and Chatham Counties only.

Sec. 4. This act is effective upon ratification, but shall expire July 1, 1983.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 9th day of July, 1981.