WISCONSIN FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COUNCIL
101 KING ST. MADISON WI 53703
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill Lueders (608) 251-5627
May 26, 2011
Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council statement on Judge Maryann Sumi’s ruling
The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council appreciates the thoughtful analysis that instructed Dane County Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi’s ruling striking down the collective bargaining bill. We would urge all citizens, whether they support or oppose the particulars of this legislation, to read the judge’s decision.
The issue here is not and never was whether the bill was good public policy. It is whether the Legislature is subject to the state’s open meetings law. Judge Sumi concluded it is.
“Our form of government depends on citizens’ trust and confidence in the process through which our elected officials make laws, at all levels of government,” Judge Sumi wrote. Her decision respects the integrity of that process.