Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven has introduced legislation alongside Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) aimed at ensuring timely delivery of local newspapers by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and curbing excessive rate increases. The USPS has raised rates for periodicals in recent years, citing increased efficiency and improved service. However, local news outlets have continued to experience postal delivery delays.

"Local newspapers play a vital role in keeping our citizens informed, giving voice to local concerns and building a sense of community," said Senator Hoeven. "Our legislation is about ensuring the postal service follows through on its commitment to improve newspaper delivery so that subscribers can get on-time news and updates for their community."

Senator Welch emphasized the importance of local press: "A vibrant and healthy local press has always been a defining feature of American democracy. Today, local news offers a crucial alternative to online information ecosystems, which are too often distorted by algorithms that amplify disinformation and confine readers to inescapable echo chambers. But surging rate increases and poor service jeopardize local news outlets’ ability to reach readers and supply the information so essential to an engaged citizenry and a vibrant democracy. It’s time for USPS to remember its mission and meet the media’s basic needs."

"The Deliver for Democracy Act would help local news stave off extinction by requiring USPS to meet reasonable on-time delivery standards before raising rates," Welch added.

Senator Rounds also commented on the situation: "Local newspapers work hard every day to deliver news on a timely basis, and the U.S. Postal Service should too. Periodical rates have cumulatively increased by over 40 percent since August 2021. Meanwhile, the Postal Service’s on-time delivery performances have not improved, leaving local journalists to pick up the slack by handling mail delivery on their own in order to make certain their readers receive their papers on time. Our common-sense bipartisan legislation helps protect rural newspapers and consumers from unjustified price hikes by making certain USPS is held to a standard for on-time deliveries."

In January 2021, the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission adopted regulations establishing three additional forms of rate authority, including one for non-compensatory classes of mail such as periodicals and package services. Under these new regulations, USPS was given an additional two percentage points of rate authority for any class or product of mail where costs exceed revenue. Since then, USPS has exercised this authority significantly, resulting in periodical postage rates increasing by over 40 percent.

Despite these substantial rate hikes, the Postal Service has consistently failed to meet periodicals' basic needs or achieve the 95 percent on-time delivery performance standard outlined in its 10-year plan. Consequently, local news outlets face high distribution costs coupled with poor service.

The Deliver for Democracy Act proposes several measures:

- Require USPS to either achieve at least a 95% on-time delivery rate for periodicals or show an improvement of at least two percentage points before unlocking its 2% surcharge authority for that class of mail.

- Direct USPS to annually report progress including on-time delivery data for newspapers in its periodical service performance measurement.

- Instruct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and submit a report to Congress on options for alternate USPS pricing schemes aimed at improving the financial position of periodicals.

The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). The full text of the bill can be accessed here.