{"id":1314847,"date":"2026-03-04T10:10:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T16:10:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/?p=1314847"},"modified":"2026-03-04T10:10:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T16:10:07","slug":"wisconsin-free-speech-slapp-lawsuit-defamation-legislation-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-free-speech-slapp-lawsuit-defamation-legislation-opinion\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: How Wisconsin can slap down efforts to silence speech","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/b><\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

If you\u2019re following recent national headlines, you know that attacks on press freedom are having a moment \u2014 from the FBI\u2019s raid on the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson<\/a> and seizure of her devices to the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort<\/a> following their coverage of a protest at a Minneapolis church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But some positive news is emerging in Wisconsin: State legislation is advancing that would make it harder to use the courts to silence people speaking on matters of public concern \u2014 whether they\u2019re journalists or private citizens \u2014 by draining their time and resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 14 months ago, I wrote about how Wisconsin is particularly vulnerable to these kinds of lawsuits<\/a>, one of just 11 states without legislation to shield residents from them. Our friends at the Wausau Pilot & Review felt the consequences firsthand, spending $200,000 to defend themselves against a since-dismissed defamation lawsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was little momentum for anti-SLAPP legislation when I wrote the column. But that has since changed. <\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t

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Your Right to Know: Protect the press against frivolous lawsuits<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t
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Your Right to Know: \u2018No comment\u2019 is no help to the public<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n

Lawmakers last year introduced bills that would create a clearer process for quickly dismissing SLAPP suits and require defendants\u2019 legal fees to be paid by plaintiffs who bring meritless claims: AB 701\/SB 666, introduced by Republican Reps. Jim Piwowarczyk and Sen. Eric Wimberger, with a suite of co-sponsors, including Democratic Reps. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez and Randy Udell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Assembly passed AB 701<\/a> last month with unanimous consent \u2014 a rare show of bipartisan agreement. The legislation still requires Senate passage before reaching Gov. Tony Evers\u2019 desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it makes it to the finish line before the Senate wraps up for the year, its impact would extend well beyond newsrooms. Everyday people face SLAPP risks, too. People in other states have been sued for leaving negative reviews online<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a fiercely independent newsroom, Wisconsin Watch doesn\u2019t typically opine on specific policies; we assemble information on matters of public concern so residents can form their own views through their own value systems. But free expression is fundamental to what we do \u2014 and fundamental to a functioning democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why Wisconsin Watch is joining other newsrooms and free speech advocates in urging the Senate to enact protections against frivolous lawsuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have thoughts about this legislation or this moment for free speech in Wisconsin and the U.S.? I\u2019d love to hear from you. Reach me at jmalewitz@wisconsinwatch.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wisconsin Watch<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our\u00a0newsletters<\/a>\u00a0for original stories and our Friday news roundup. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lawmakers have a chance to shield Wisconsinites from meritless defamation claims designed to drain time and resources.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":579,"featured_media":1314852,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"gigafact_has_fact_brief":false,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":0,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"","gigafact_has_been_published":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-03-04T16:10:22Z","apple_news_api_id":"9411f561-3d49-4a20-8e90-c7d9cce446e6","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-03-04T16:10:22Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AlBH1YT1JSiCOkMfZzORG5g","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"Lawmakers have a chance to shield Wisconsinites from meritless defamation claims designed to drain time and resources.","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[6,3429],"tags":[3617],"partner":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"type-of-work":[],"coauthors":[3682],"class_list":["post-1314847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-about-wcij","category-opinion","tag-wisconsin-watch","entry"],"fact_brief":null,"apple_news_notices":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-free-speech-slapp-lawsuit-defamation-legislation-opinion\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Opinion: How Wisconsin can slap down efforts to silence speech","url":"http:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-free-speech-slapp-lawsuit-defamation-legislation-opinion\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-free-speech-slapp-lawsuit-defamation-legislation-opinion\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/asse6535873-scaled.jpg?fit=140%2C93&quality=100&ssl=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/asse6535873-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&quality=100&ssl=1"},"articleSection":"News about Wisconsin Watch","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jim Malewitz \/ Wisconsin Watch"}],"creator":["Jim Malewitz \/ Wisconsin Watch"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wisconsin Watch","logo":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ww-logo-footer-1.png"},"keywords":["wisconsin watch"],"dateCreated":"2026-03-04T16:10:04Z","datePublished":"2026-03-04T16:10:04Z","dateModified":"2026-03-04T16:10:07Z"},"rendered":"