The Wisconsin Newspaper Association is initiating a state bill being cosponsored by Assembly Rep. Todd Novak and Wisconsin State Senator Romaine Quinn relating to newspaper publication and typeface for certain legal notices.
The bills are known as LRB-3379/1 and LRB-4279/1.
According to the sponsorship memo, current Wisconsin law requires all public notices under Chapter 985 be published in Arial typeface. The original thought behind having a standard font was to streamline the public notice process. However, with changing technology, requiring publication solely in Arial is no longer needed. In fact, some newspapers are struggling to meet the Arial requirement because of the layout and design platforms they use.
“Our bill makes the simple change of allowing any easily readable typeface – known as sans serif – to be used for public notices. The bill also removes some obsolete statutory language related to publications no longer required,” the bill explanation reads.
“A standard line shall be a 6-point Arial sans serif typeface on a 6-point leading without spacing between the lines, and 11 picas in length,” the bill now reads, deleting the reference to Arial. “One inch equals 6 postscript pica and 72 postscript points.”
The bill also repeals obsolete language regarding newspaper publication of proposed constitutional amendments and other resolutions. Read the bill text here and the bill explanation here.
The WNA would like members to take the following actions:
- Answer whether or not newspapers are using anything beyond Arial Monotype in order to be in compliance with the Wisconsin statute. Please email your response to WNA Executive Director Beth Bennett at Beth.Bennett@wnanews.com .
- Contact your legislators and request that they sign on as co-sponsors of the legislation; you may find their contact information in these links to the Assembly and the Senate.
