An Act to amend 985.065 (2) (a) of the statutes; Relating to: bid requirement for publication and printing of county board proceedings, notices, and advertisements in counties having a population of 250,000 or more and at least two English newspapers published daily.
Summary
AB152 would narrow an existing county publishing requirement that applies to large counties. Under current law, counties with a population of 250,000 or more must direct the county clerk to invite proposals from English-language daily newspapers in the county for printing and publishing county board proceedings, notices, and advertisements. The bill would keep that requirement only for counties meeting the population threshold and also having at least two English-language daily newspapers published in the county.
In practical terms, the bill clarifies that the bid process for official county publications is required only where there is a meaningful choice among at least two daily English newspapers. It does not change what must be published or who may publish it; it changes the condition under which counties must solicit proposals for that work.
Impact
The bill would amend Wisconsin Statutes section 985.065(2)(a), affecting county procurement and publication practices in the state’s largest counties. Counties with 250,000 or more residents would remain subject to the bidding requirement only if they also have at least two English daily newspapers, which could reduce administrative obligations in counties that do not meet that newspaper-availability condition. The affected parties are county boards, county clerks, and English-language daily newspapers that compete for official publication contracts.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or partisan sentiment in the available materials. The bill’s text suggests a technical, targeted adjustment rather than a broad policy change, and the lack of recorded opposition or support in the provided context indicates that the measure may have been treated as a narrow administrative revision. However, the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the scope of the bidding requirement for official county publications. Supporters would favor limiting the mandate to counties where at least two daily English newspapers actually exist, arguing that the current rule is unnecessary where there is no real competition. Opponents, if any, would likely prefer retaining the broader requirement to preserve transparency, competition, and access to public notices in large counties regardless of the number of newspapers available. The available record does not identify specific speakers or organized positions.
Crossfiled
An Act to amend 985.065 (2) (a) of the statutes; Relating to: bid requirement for publication and printing of county board proceedings, notices, and advertisements in counties having a population of 250,000 or more and at least two English newspapers published daily.
Bid requirement for publication and printing of county board proceedings, notices, and advertisements in counties having a population of 250,000 or more and at least two English newspapers published daily.