SB 147

This bill incorporates the Washington Island Observer newspaper into the

definition of newspaper for purposes of eligibility to receive compensation for

publishing legal notices. Under current law, a newspaper is defined, with certain

exceptions, as a publication that is published at regular intervals and at least once

a week, containing, on average, 25 percent news content per issue, including reports

of happenings of recent occurrence of a varied character, such as political, social,

moral and religious subjects, designed to inform the general reader. In addition to

meeting other criteria, a publication must be a newspaper as defined in the statutes

in order to qualify to receive compensation for publication of legal notices. This bill

incorporates the Washington Island Observer, published at least two times a month,

into the definition of newspaper.

Also, current law provides that in order for an affidavit of printing to be received

as presumptive evidence of publication of a legal notice and of the facts stated in the

affidavit, the affidavit must include a copy of the legal notice clipped from the

newspaper and must specify the date of each insertion and the paper in which it was

published. This bill specifies that the copy of the notice included with the affidavit

of printing may be clipped from the newspaper in either hard copy or electronic

format.