The distribution of the Wisconsin Blue Book and highway maps. (FE)
The proposed changes are expected to reduce waste and unnecessary printing costs associated with the Blue Book and highway maps. By informing legislative offices that the Blue Book is available online, the bill encourages the transition towards more digital resources and could improve access to information for legislators and the public. The alterations will also affect how highway service maps are distributed, allowing legislatures to request up to 50 highway service maps and 500 folded highway maps without charge, but capping the number of additional requests.
Senate Bill 138 proposes amendments to the statutes regarding the distribution of the Wisconsin Blue Book and highway maps. The bill seeks to streamline the distribution process by reducing the number of printed copies required for distribution to various entities, including state agencies and educational institutions. Specifically, it eliminates the automatic distribution of Blue Books and highway maps, empowering legislative offices to request only as many copies as they need, up to a specified limit. For assembly offices, the cap is set at 350 copies, while senate offices can request up to 600 copies. This initiative aims to enhance efficiency by focusing on the actual needs of legislative members, as opposed to an automatic allocation of resources.
There may be contention surrounding the elimination of automatic distribution processes for the Blue Book and highway maps. Advocates argue that this could lead to under-ordering of necessary materials, hampering legislative functions. Some may also express concern that relying on offices to request copies could inadvertently create disparities in access to important resources, especially among minority offices with fewer resources to make such requests. Overall, while the bill aims to modernize distribution processes, discussions may arise around accessibility and equity in resource allocation.