Here & Now

Wisconsin Blue Books No Longer Blue

Frederica Freyberg:

We couldn’t let the week pass without telling you about a monumental shift at the state capitol in a tradition that dates back to 1853. That’s when the first legislative Blue Book was issued in Wisconsin. It’s a roadmap of information about every state legislative district, lawmakers, state office holders and a who’s who and a what’s what in Wisconsin politics. The iconic blue-bound book takes on a different color this year, however. State law actually mandates that the spine be blue, but the front and back cover this year are redesigned with a granite pattern in celebration of the state capitol’s 100th anniversary. Along with the redesign, the book itself is shortened, shedding nearly 300 pages. The chief of the Legislative Reference Bureau says this is to make the book more accessible to high school civics classes as well as reflecting a citizenry more prone to looking things up online.