Local investigative reporting performs an essential service in our democracy.
It brings problems to light so the public can demand better.
We saw a lot of that this week.
The Milwaukee Common Council scheduled a hearing to examine fraud in taxpayer funded programs aimed at reducing infant mortality in the city. This came in direct response to the Journal Sentinel's January "Cash Not Care" investigation by reporters Mary Spicuzza and Cary Spivak.
State lawmakers began drafting a bill this week to make it easier for local governments to conduct electrical inspections of rental units and to charge landlords fees when violations are found.