The Indiana Publisher

Lynne Lance National Newspaper Association The U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 8 passed the Postal Service Reform Act (HR 3076) by a vote of 342-92, sending a landmark postal bill to the Senate for consideration. The PSRA bill would accom- plish several goals spearheaded by the National Newspaper Association since debate on saving universal mail service commenced in recent years. NNA was instru- mental in the passage of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, but that legislation picked up a late amendment that saddled the Postal Service with a $5 billion annual obligation to prefund- ed retiree health costs for 75 years. The prefunding requirement was met for only two years and then an ailing USPS transferred the obligation to debt on its balance sheet. The rising debt alarmed the Postal Regulatory Commission, which gave USPS authority to pass along substantial postage increases. In 2023, newspapers can expect two increases totaling nearly 10 percent in higher costs. The PSRA would roll back the debt, require USPS to lower its retiree health costs by shifting about a quarter of its retirees into Medicare, for which Medicare taxes have already been paid. Other important provisions in the bill include a mandate for contin- ued six-day mail service and an allowance for community news- papers to increase their uses of the mail by sending sample copies to potential new subscribers. Brett Wesner, NNA chair and publisher of Wesner Publications in Cordell, OK, said NNA was cel- ebrating a long-awaited signal by Congress that it was serious about preserving mail service. "This day has finally come," Wesner said. "We greatly appreciate the hard work of Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, and James Comer, R-KY, in crafting a bill that drew wide bipartisan support, despite some unaccountable resistance. These two leaders came up with a com- plex bill that will give USPS some financial running room and, more importantly, demonstrate to the nation that we value this national treasure, the US Postal Service. Six of Indiana's nine U.S. Representatives voted in favor of the postal reform bill. They were Reps. Larry Bucshon, Andre Carson, Frank Mrvan, Greg Pence, Victoria Spartz, and Jackie Walorski. Voting against it were Reps. Jim Baird, Jim Banks, and Trey Hollingsworth. HSPA sug- gests publishers reach out to the six and thank them for supporting this important legislation. Now it is on to the Senate where as of Feb. 14 a vote was expected this week on the bill. "I wish I could reassure our members that today's victory will mean stable postal rates and supremely reliable service, said Wesner. "We know that more work is to be done to reach those goals; however, we want to thank members of Congress and our own advocates for a job well done." February 2022 Page 3 Postal Reform Act passes House, advancing a decade of work by NNA "We know that more work is to be done to reach those goals. Today, however, we want to thank members of Congress and our own advocates for a job well done." — Brett Wesner, NNA chair, president The Nina Mason Pulliam Environmental Journalism Award was created through a grant by the Pulliam Trust to the Hoosier State Press Association Foundation to recognize Indiana journalists for outstanding reporting on environ- mental issues. The award was part of the HSPA Better Newspaper Contest for the first time in 2018. Sara Clifford of the Brown County Democrat received the 2021 award for her reporting on water contamination. Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust $1,000 Environmental Journalism Award Hoosier State Press Association Foundation

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