To the editor,

On Tuesday, Dec. 9, Gov. Tony Evers signed Senate Bill 440 relating to the how government and court notices that appear in newspapers are published. The change, championed by Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) ensures the continued integrity and print quality of important government information known as legal notices.

An important premise upon which the principle of democracy is based is that information about government activities must be accessible for people to make informed decisions. For more than two hundred years, newspapers have served as the critically important independent third-party oversight between units of government and the public via the publication of legal notices. The publication of legal notices in newspapers creates a record verifying that government officially informed the public about actions that may affect their rights, such as zoning changes, tax sales, public hearings, or new regulations.

The legislation authored by Rep. Novak allows newspapers to address the changes in technology used in the production and printing of vitally important public information. The Wisconsin Newspaper Association on behalf of this newspaper and the Wisconsin newspaper industry applaud Rep. Novak for his work to support the continued newspaper publication of legal notices that allow citizens and journalists to remain informed and to monitor the actions of our government.

Beth Bennett

Executive Director

Wisconsin Newspaper Association