Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council
A representative government is dependent on an informed electorate
Public Records Law Listed below is the complete text of the law as of July 2016. Click here for a more detailed and annotated version of the statutes. Annotations are useful references to case law and opinions of the Attorney General that can help explain a passage. Wis. Stat. § 19.31-19.39 (2016) 19.31 Declaration of […]
Continue ReadingOpen Meetings Law Listed below is the complete text of the law as of July 2016. Click here for a more detailed and annotated version of the statutes. Annotations are useful references to case law and opinions of the Attorney General that can help explain a passage. Wisconsin Open Meetings Law Wis. Stat. § 19.81-19.98 […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Minutes July 21, 2016 meeting Capital Newspapers auditorium Call to order and introductions. The meeting was called to order at 2 p.m. In attendance were Dee J. Hall, Rusty Cunningham, Beth Bennett, Michelle Vetterkind, Tom Bier, Dave Zweifel, Andy Hall, Orville Seymer, Mark Pitsch, Larry Gallup, Neil Johnson, Bob Dreps, […]
Continue ReadingA Wisconsin court of appeals has finally put to rest some of the questions over what information must be withheld under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, or DPPA. Its recent decision ends years of confusion in a way that squares with the state’s traditions of openness — and with common sense. The DPPA was enacted […]
Continue ReadingTwo years ago, the Fond du Lac School District unveiled new guidelines requiring administrative review and approval before the publication of any student media. The reaction by students was swift, democratic and effective. Within days, they had publicized the change online, presented their case at a school board meeting, appeared on local media, and gathered […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council April 7, 2016 meeting Capital Newspapers Auditorium Call to order and introductions. In attendance were Bill Lueders, Bob Dreps, Tom Kamenick, Orville Seymer, Julia Hunter, Dave Zweifel, John Foust, Bob Drechsel, Mike Buelow, Mark Pitsch, Larry Gallup, Tom Bier, Dave Haynes, April Barker, Andy Hall, Doug Glass, Paul Ferguson and […]
Continue ReadingAs identified by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council 1. Long waits. The Open Records Law states that requested records must be provided “as soon as practicable and without delay.” It adds that providing access to information “is declared to be … an integral part of the routine duties of [public] officers and employees.” But […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Jan. 14, 2016 meeting Capital Newspapers Auditorium Call to order and introductions. The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. In attendance were Dee Hall, Bill Lueders, April Barker, Christa Westerberg, Bob Dreps, John Foust, Bob Drechsel, Steve Lovejoy, Mike Buelow, Larry Gallup, Tom Bier, Ernie Franzen, Beth […]
Continue ReadingDear Council members and supporters: Matthew Blessing, the chair of the state Public Records Board, has just released to me the attached statement, in response to the verified complaint filed by the Council early this week. The statement says the Board intends to revisit the agenda items from its Aug. 24 meeting that were the […]
Continue ReadingTransparency in government is vital to a healthy democracy. Wisconsin has a long tradition of openness with regard to public meetings and records, including what may be the nation’s first state records law, enacted in 1849. What follows is a list of resources for citizens and government officials regarding open government in Wisconsin. The full […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council July 23, 2015 meeting Capital Newspapers Auditorium 1) Call to order. The meeting was called to order at 1:33 p.m. Present were Dee Hall, Steve Lovejoy, John Foust, Bob Dreps, Larry Gallup, Tom Kamenick, Orville Seymer, Scott Bauer, Mark Pitsch, Doug Wojcik, Beth Bennett, April Barker, Bill Lueders, Tom […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Capital Newspapers Auditorium Minutes of the April 23, 2015 meeting 1) Call to order: The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. Present were Dee Hall, Bob Dreps, Steve Lovejoy, Beth Bennett, April Barker, Orville Seymer, Doug Wojcik, Michael King, Gordon Govier, Mark Pitsch, Bob Drechsel, Tom Bier, Bill […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Oct. 22, 2015 meeting Capital Newspapers Auditorium 1) Call to order. The meeting was called to order. In attendance were Dee Hall, Bob Dreps, Gina Duwe, Orville Seymer, Michael Buelow, Tom Bier, Andy Hall, Mark Pitsch, Doug Glass, Bob Drechsel, Bill Lueders, April Barker, Christa Westerberg and Steve Lovejoy. Guests […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is issuing an Action Alert on proposed legislation to end the requirement that donors to political candidates or committees identify their principal employer. The proposal was introduced Oct. 15 by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos as an amendment to AB387, a bill to rewrite state campaign finance laws, and promptly […]
Continue ReadingPossible changes in law or policy to increase transparency, as identified by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council Updated September 2015 Recording of closed meetings Currently, there is no way to know whether public bodies are going into closed session for legitimate reasons. The Council favors a statutory requirement that closed meetings be recorded on […]
Continue ReadingRepublican Attorney General Brad Schimel noted the danger of tinkering with transparency at the summit he convened July 29 on open government. “Messing with open government laws is like touching the third rail,” Schimel said. “I think that lesson has been learned recently.” The folks now running Madison got their hands burned while taking an […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is issuing an emergency action alert in response to the Joint Finance Committee’s shocking assault on the state’s long and proud tradition of open government. This cowardly action, passed by the Committee on July 2 just hours after its introduction, is part of an omnibus motion stuck into the state […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is deeply opposed to a change to Wisconsin’s open records law that was inserted into the budget late last week by the Joint Finance Committee. It passed on a party-line vote of 12-4, with Republicans in the majority. The change, part of Omnibus Motion #521, Item 14, P. 3, would […]
Continue ReadingFor the ninth straight year, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is bestowing Openness in Government awards, or Opees, in recognition of achievements high and low. The awards are part of the observance of national Sunshine Week (sunshineweek.org), March 15-21. The nonpartisan council consists of representatives of media organizations and others devoted to the cause […]
Continue ReadingOne of Wisconsin’s most vexing open records issues could be headed toward resolution. For the past several years, problems have arisen over differing interpretations of how the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act should affect access to records here. Journalists and others contend it was never meant to block the release of routine information in police […]
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